Language skills and Autism!
Every person with Autism is unique with their own set of strengths, interests, and goals. Despite this, there are two symptoms of ASD that most diagnosed individuals have in common, one of which is difficulty with social communication and interactions with others. Because of this, language and social skills are one of the vital areas of development we tackle at ACP. However, for those who are not Speech-Language Pathologists, learning about parts of language and how your little one may be learning in Speech Therapy can be overwhelming. This is why we wanted to break it down a bit! Read on to learn about receptive and expressive language skills, what generative language is vs. scripted language, and how these, in combination, allow for effective and meaningful communication to form, whether vocally or non-vocally!
What is receptive language?
To begin, let’s start with “receptive language.” This is often referred to as the “input” of language, describing a learner’s ability to understand and “receive” the meaning of spoken words. For example, following directions is something that relies on receptive language skills. You need to understand the direction in order to follow it. When it comes to neurotypical development, kiddos tend to understand language prior to being able to produce it (TherapyWorks). For children with ASD, this is not always the case, which is why Speech Therapists ensure an understanding of vocabulary rather than simply building upon the known words of an individual.
Our Assistant Vice President of VIS and Partnerships, Kara Morrison-Smith, says in one of her LinkedIn posts, “IF we can focus on how to build UNDERSTANDING of language, it will help our learners COMMUNICATE that language.” This is because meaningful communication cannot happen if little ones do not understand what their language means and how it would be received by others. You can recognize this difficulty in comprehending language meaning by paying attention to the behavior of your learner. Do they have difficulty understanding gestures? Can they point to an object if asked? Being able to identify pictures and comprehend a story are all signs of progressing receptive language development.
If your learner is struggling with this aspect of language development, not to worry. There are many activities you can do at home to help progress this development, along with Speech Therapy. Completing read-alouds or listening to audiobooks can both improve language understanding, by mapping pictures and objects to the words that we say. Visuals alongside text have also proven to be extremely impactful in clarifying the meaning of vocabulary. By utilizing visuals, you can ensure an understanding of expectations, directions, etc., likely reducing frustration and assisting in comprehension of the task at hand, such as completing a morning schedule with visuals describing the steps of getting ready, paired alongside descriptions. ACP has free visual supports you can look through on our Caregivers’ Page.
What is Expressive Language?
It is important to note that while receptive language most often drives meaningful expressive language development, this is not true to the same degree in reverse. This is why the gap between receptive skills and speaking is sometimes called the “hidden” skill (ScienceInsights). This is because, while a child may not be vocally communicating, it does not mean they are not comprehending what is being said. It simply may indicate a struggle to produce or “express” language, not to understand it.
Expressive language is the “output” piece of language. It requires a level of understanding, “receptively,” of the elements of the sentences and the meaning of the vocabulary that we are saying. When a learner understands the elements of what they are saying, they can start to generate novel utterances to express themselves! Examples of expressive language can include naming objects, using appropriate facial expressions, asking questions, and more. Anything done to express yourself and your wants/needs falls here. Language can be expressed vocally or with alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) systems which might include using a speech generating device (SGD), handing a Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) printed symbol to another person, sign language, pointing or any other way that supports a pathway to effective communication. There are also many ways to practice expressive language development, including utilizing those pretend play skills and storytelling. Using your own facial expressions to model and asking your little one to describe things are great tactics to boost expressive language. When expressive language is used, it often leads into functional communication skills, a major part of ABA and Speech Therapy!
Functional communication skills are exactly as they sound: the practical use of communicating with others where you are understood and able to express your wants and needs. An example of non-functional communication is exhibiting behaviors such as crying or dragging others to get needs across, which is why reaching expressive language knowledge is so important.
When we spoke with our SLP, Meghan Young, she stated that “When children don’t have a way to express their needs and ideas, it can lead to frustration. By giving them effective ways to communicate, we can reduce that frustration, build confidence, and help them form stronger connections with the people around them.” These tools to support communication can be as simple as providing pictures of rooms, so learners can better understand where they are requesting to go. They utilize receptive language skills with their comprehension of visuals and expressive skills by functionally requesting.
What is the difference between generative and scripted language?
Generative language falls into the overarching domain of “expressive language”, referring more to the ability to utilize the grammar and linguistic rules of sentence structures from a set of vocabulary. This includes being able to generate a sentence or idea using a combination of words and then break down the elements of that sentence and rearrange the words within that sentence to generate a new phrase with a different meaning. An example would be saying, “I eat pizza.” You can change up a word and create a whole new sentence, such as, “I throw away pizza.” This is “generative” when you are creating or “generating” a new sentence with new meaning by adding another word in your vocabulary.
Many individuals with ASD often learn language “chunks” or scripts of language, which still contain meaning when used, but it may be difficult for them to understand the elements or vocabulary within the chunk of language. This skill is needed in order to break it down and rearrange or add elements to generate a novel utterance to express something different. Oftentimes in Speech Therapy, scripted phrases can be used to build vocabulary and teach parts of a sentence, but it is important to understand the difference between scripted language and generative language to help our learners become the most efficient and successful communicators possible. Focusing on the receptive understanding of the elements of a sentence and word relationships is a path toward supporting this!
Developmental milestones to keep in mind!
Did you know the CDC has a milestone tracker to track your child’s development? You can access it here, and if you look closely, you can see where receptive and expressive language come into play!
Under the category “Language/Communication Milestones,” examples of comprehension, such as pointing to images in a book when asked, are prime examples of receptive understanding. Furthermore, using gestures and being able to string together words is where generative, expressive language is seen. These milestones demonstrate where, at two years old, a learner’s social skills would typically reach. When we tackle these aspects of language within Speech Therapy, we are assisting in closing the gaps in development, and helping a learner meet their highest potential. This is why seeking a diagnosis and receiving Early Intervention services are vital, as the longer you wait, the larger this gap can become!
ACP’s wait time for Diagnostic Evaluations is less than the national average (6-12 months) at 3 weeks to 3 months, depending on location. This shorter wait time allows families partnered with ACP to receive a professional diagnosis, and medically necessary therapy if suggested, in a significantly shorter time period. This means learners can start receiving services during a crucial time in development.
Learn more about ACP’s Diagnostic services here and begin your journey!
Written by Eden Osiason
