The Effect of Early Intervention on the Development of Receptive and Expressive Language Skills on Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder

It is well known that one of the key characteristics in detecting Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is difficulties with communication, along with social and cognitive impairments and repetitive behaviors. Difficulties with communication include deficits in both the understanding of language, known as receptive language, and the use of language, known as expressive language. The acquisition of language skills in toddlers with ASD differs from that of their typically developing peers. While both receptive and expressive language skills tend to be lower in individuals with ASD than neurotypical learners, researchers have found that learners with ASD tend to demonstrate greater impairments in the understanding of language than their use of language. This paper will outline the relationship between the development of expressive and receptive language skills in individuals with ASD in comparison to neurotypical individuals and individuals with developmental delays, as well as explore ways in which teaching these language skills have proven to be effective based on these findings.