A Comparison of Expressive Vocabulary in Spontaneous Language Sample and Parent Checklist of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to examine the differences in vocabulary abilities in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using a parent checklist and spontaneous language analysis.Methods: Participants included 10 children with ASD, aged 18-30 months, and 10 typically developing children matched for language age. Data were collected using the Korean version of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (K M-B CDI) vocabulary checklist and spontaneous language analysis. The total number of vocabulary and the number of 5 word classes of vocabulary were measured and a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation analysis was performed to compare the two groups.Results: Children with ASD demonstrated a higher total vocabulary according to the parent checklist compared to typically developing children. However, there was no significant difference in the results of spontaneous language analysis. While the parent checklist indicated higher vocabulary across all five word classes for ASD children, spontaneous language analysis revealed that they predominantly used nouns and verbs, with fewer occurrences of determiners, independent words, and relational words. Moreover, the vocabulary overlap between the two methods was lower in the ASD group compared to the typically developing group. Conclusion: This study highlights the challenges faced by children with ASD in appropriately using their known vocabulary. It emphasizes the importance of considering not only the parent checklist but also analyzing spontaneously used vocabulary in real communication situations. This integrated approach may provide valuable insights for developing personalized interventions and therapeutic strategies for language development in children with ASD.