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.