Brief Report: Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Minimally Verbal Status in Individuals with ASD.
About 30% of adults with autism are minimally verbal. Past research suggested that after age five, few gain verbal fluency, but studies have rarely investigated whether family environmental factors contribute to the acquisition of verbal fluency. The present study utilized data from the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised to compare changes in verbal fluency for 404 individuals with autism from childhood to adolescence and adulthood. Socioeconomic factors were examined across fluency groups (i.e., those who did/did not achieve verbal fluency). Findings indicated that fully 60% of those who were minimally verbal in early childhood acquired verbal fluency in adolescence and adulthood. Parent socioeconomic status differed across fluency groups, suggesting the importance of environmental factors for individual development.
['Maltman|Nell|N|', 'DaWalt|Leann Smith|LS|', 'Hong|Jinkuk|J|', 'Mailick|Marsha|M|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder D002648:Child D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007804:Language Development D008297:Male D010290:Parents D012959:Socioeconomic Factors D014706:Verbal Learning D055815:Young Adult
Minimally verbal ASD ADI-R Lifespan development SES