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Expressive language – they may
have a well-developed vocabulary and know the rules of grammar;
however, they don’t have a command of the language. They may be
slow to retrieve the words they want to use, there may be issues
with phraseology and fluidity, their vocal affect may be flat
and expressionless, they may speak either too loudly or too
softly.
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Language pragmatics – they
struggle with the social context of language, both in expressive
and receptive language. They don’t pick up on or use subtle
aspects like tone of voice, gesture, and intent. They may not
understand the rules of conversation, including turn taking.
Their discourse can become a monologue about a topic of their
special interest, with no regard to cues of disinterest.
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Receptive language – language
comprehension can be inflexible, causing difficulty
understanding jokes, sarcasm and figurative language. Different
meanings of the same word causes a problem. The more emotional
the tone of conversation is, the less effective they are at
processing. Attempting discourse when there is a good deal of
background noise is extremely difficult.
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For all of these reasons, the
student with ASD is slower to process the spoken word.
Subsequently, there is a delay in response when they are spoken
to or asked a question.
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To aid in understanding, some
students will develop echolalia, repeating everything you say,
or the ends of your sentences.
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Handwriting – Many students with
ASD have poor motor control. Handwriting is often illegible due
to heavy pressure, poor spacing, or letter size that is either
too big or too small. For these students, handwriting may be
uncomfortable and even painful, and well as emotionally and
physically draining. It may take them a considerable length of
time to complete writing tasks.
