Expressive Dominant Versus Receptive Dominant Language Patterns in Young Children: Findings from the Study to Explore Early Development

D B Reinhartsen; A L Tapia; L Watson; E Crais; C Bradley; J Fairchild; A H Herring; J Daniels

doi:10.1007/s10803-019-03999-x

Expressive Dominant Versus Receptive Dominant Language Patterns in Young Children: Findings from the Study to Explore Early Development

J Autism Dev Disord. 2019 Jun;49(6):2447-2460. doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-03999-x.

Authors

D B Reinhartsen^{1

2}, A L Tapia³, L Watson⁴, E Crais⁴, C Bradley⁵, J Fairchild^{6

7}, A H Herring^{8

9}, J Daniels¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. debbie.reinhartsen@cidd.unc.edu.
² Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, 101 Renee Lynne Court, Carrboro, NC, 27510, USA. debbie.reinhartsen@cidd.unc.edu.
³ Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁴ Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁶ Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁷ Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
⁸ Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, and Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁹ Statistical Science & Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
¹⁰ Departments of Epidemiology & Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

PMID: 30937735
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-03999-x

Abstract

We examined language profiles of 2571 children, 30-68 months old, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), other developmental disabilities (DD), and typical development from the general population (POP). Children were categorized as expressive dominant (ED), receptive dominant (RD), or nondominant (ND). Within each group, the ED profile was the least frequent. However, children in the ASD group were more likely to display an ED profile than those in the DD or POP groups, and these children were typically younger, had lower nonverbal cognitive skills, and displayed more severe social-affect symptoms of ASD compared to their peers with RD or ND profiles. These findings have research and clinical implications related to the focus of interventions targeting young children with ASD and other DDs.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Expressive language; Mullen Scales of Early Learning; Receptive language.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Multicenter Study
Observational Study

MeSH terms

Autism Spectrum Disorder / diagnosis*
Autism Spectrum Disorder / epidemiology
Autism Spectrum Disorder / psychology*
Case-Control Studies
Child
Child Development / physiology*
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Language Development Disorders / diagnosis*
Language Development Disorders / epidemiology
Language Development Disorders / psychology*
Language*
Male

Grants and funding

DD000184/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention