Affiliation of Author, Researcher, or Creator
School of Communication
Department
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Author(s)
Sudha Arunachalam, Jonet Artis, Rhiannon Luyster
Resource Type
Article
Publication, Publisher or Distributor
Language
Publication Date
2021
Brief Description
We discuss three points relevant to Kissine's (2021) target article on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and its implications for theories of language acquisition. First, we argue that individuals with ASD do have social communication abilities and that these are linked to their language abilities; therefore, ASD does not provide evidence that language competence and language use are dissociable. Second, we argue that typically developing children show remarkable abilities to learn new words in noninteractive situations, and thus these abilities are not unique to ASD. Third, we point out that even noninteractive situations can serve as models for, and can implicate, children's social communication abilities. In sum, we agree with Kissine that children (with and without ASD) are skilled language learners, able to take diverse paths to learning and to benefit from many different kinds of learning situations. However, as to whether these abilities in themselves demonstrate a threat to constructionist approaches to language acquisition, we do not think that Kissine has accrued a compelling case.
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder (ASD), language acquisition, children, social communication
Recommended Citation
Arunachalam, S., Artis, J., & Luyster, R. (2021). Moving beyond binaries: Appreciating the complexities of autism and language learning (Response to Kissine). Language 97(3), e161-e168. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/lan.2021.0056
Preferred Citation Style
APA
Peer Reviewed
1
License Agreement
1