Abstract
This article analyzes the visual, auditory, vocal, and motor advantages
among autistic people with speech onset delay (A-SOD) compared with
autistic people without speech delay (A-NoSOD) and sometimes
non-autistic people. Importantly, their intelligence and communication
skills are often underestimated. In addition, this paper provides
suggestions to leverage strengths and address weaknesses from a
sensory-motor perspective. Visual strengths are applied to IQ testing,
reading and writing, and interpreting facial expressions. Auditory
applications range from pain to music to speech development.
Implications include suggestions for both production and perception of
speech. The recommendations address both language’s relationship to
motor development and the role of general language learning.
Paradoxically, strengths in auditory perception may contribute to speech
delay but also help A-SOD catch up to A-NoSOD, and continue to help
A-SOD develop. Understanding A-SOD’s strengths may help to recognize how
they make developmental gains in speech and language, and build from
their strengths.
The neurodiversity movement
offers a holistic framework for understanding and supporting autistic
people, which complexly recognizes strengths, neutral differences, and
weaknesses (Kapp, 2020). Strengths can present selective advantages and
functional challenges (Russell et al., 2019), and valid subtyping cannot
happen without regard for them (Kapp, 2023). The distinction of autism
and Asperger’s in the DSM-IV depended on speech delay for autism, which
may stem from strengths like pitch perception that delay language and
continue to impact communication and behaviour (Eigsti & Fein, 2013).
The paper shows that perceptual strengths especially apply to autistics
with speech onset delay and strength-based assessment and support may
help autistic people (including with intellectual disability or minimal
speech) demonstrate intelligence (Girard et al., 2023; Courchesne et
al., 2015), learn to read (Ludlow, Wilkins, & Heaton, 2008), and
acquire speech (Chenausky et al., 2022).
Autistic people with speech onset delay (A-SOD: lack of single words by
age two and communicative phrases used by age three: American
Psychiatric Association, 1994) often (go on to) have comparable IQ and
developmental level to autistics without that delay (A-NoSOD; Happé,
2011; Bennett et al. 2008; Howlin, 2003; Szatmari et al., 2009). This
paper analyses the visual, auditory, vocal, and motor advantages among
A-SOD compared with A-NoSOD and sometimes non-autistic people that
enable this developmental feat. It also provides suggestions to improve
assessments and guidance for families from a sensory-motor perspective,
focusing on suggestions for both leveraging strengths and addressing
weaknesses. It is critical to understand the advantages of A-SOD because
understanding their strengths may help to recognize how they make
developmental gains in speech and language, and build from their
strengths.