Conversational Topic Shifts and Topic Maintenance in Autistic and Neurotypical Children / Zuriñe ÁBALOS in Autism Research, 19-4 (April 2026)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism Research > 19-4 (April 2026) . - e70204 Titre : Conversational Topic Shifts and Topic Maintenance in Autistic and Neurotypical Children Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Zuriñe ÁBALOS, Auteur ; Mikhail KISSINE, Auteur ; Agustín VICENTE, Auteur ; Elena CASTROVIEJO, Auteur Article en page(s) : e70204 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism  children  communication  language  social interaction Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : ABSTRACT Topic maintenance and topic shifts are crucial components of conversation; however, existing research lacks a clear quantitative operationalization of these topic management skills. Previous studies suggest that autistic children are less likely than their neurotypical peers to maintain and elaborate on the interlocutor's prior topic, and that they shift topics inappropriately more often. Nevertheless, findings on topic maintenance remain inconclusive, and studies specifically investigating topic shifts are limited. Moreover, little is known about the conversational skills of autistic children from non-English-speaking contexts. We investigated topic maintenance and shifting in 43 autistic and 46 age-matched neurotypical Spanish-speaking children (M?=?8.55, SD?=?1.91) during a semi-spontaneous conversation task. Given their important role in social interactions, we developed a theoretically grounded protocol for systematically coding topic shifts, supported through a rating task conducted with neurotypical adults. Results showed that although autistic and neurotypical children provided a comparable number of topic-supporting responses, autistic participants produced significantly more topic shifts. Furthermore, autistic children's topic shifts corresponded to a less natural end of the empirically supported rating scale, indicating such topic shifts interrupted the conversation flow more drastically. These findings suggest that, while autistic children may not have difficulties maintaining a conversation topic, the frequency and nature of their topic shifts could challenge reciprocal conversations. Our study presents a coding scheme that captures relevant distinctions in how different topic shifts are perceived in conversation, serving as a valuable resource for research and clinical practice in assessing and supporting the conversational skills of autistic individuals. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.70204 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=585 [article] Conversational Topic Shifts and Topic Maintenance in Autistic and Neurotypical Children [texte imprimé] / Zuriñe ÁBALOS, Auteur ; Mikhail KISSINE, Auteur ; Agustín VICENTE, Auteur ; Elena CASTROVIEJO, Auteur . - e70204. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism Research > 19-4 (April 2026) . - e70204 Mots-clés : autism  children  communication  language  social interaction Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : ABSTRACT Topic maintenance and topic shifts are crucial components of conversation; however, existing research lacks a clear quantitative operationalization of these topic management skills. Previous studies suggest that autistic children are less likely than their neurotypical peers to maintain and elaborate on the interlocutor's prior topic, and that they shift topics inappropriately more often. Nevertheless, findings on topic maintenance remain inconclusive, and studies specifically investigating topic shifts are limited. Moreover, little is known about the conversational skills of autistic children from non-English-speaking contexts. We investigated topic maintenance and shifting in 43 autistic and 46 age-matched neurotypical Spanish-speaking children (M?=?8.55, SD?=?1.91) during a semi-spontaneous conversation task. Given their important role in social interactions, we developed a theoretically grounded protocol for systematically coding topic shifts, supported through a rating task conducted with neurotypical adults. Results showed that although autistic and neurotypical children provided a comparable number of topic-supporting responses, autistic participants produced significantly more topic shifts. Furthermore, autistic children's topic shifts corresponded to a less natural end of the empirically supported rating scale, indicating such topic shifts interrupted the conversation flow more drastically. These findings suggest that, while autistic children may not have difficulties maintaining a conversation topic, the frequency and nature of their topic shifts could challenge reciprocal conversations. Our study presents a coding scheme that captures relevant distinctions in how different topic shifts are perceived in conversation, serving as a valuable resource for research and clinical practice in assessing and supporting the conversational skills of autistic individuals. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.70204 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=585

Relations between language, non-verbal cognition, and conceptualization in non- or minimally verbal individuals with ASD across the lifespan / Dominika SLUŠNÁ in Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 6 (January-December 2021)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism & Developmental Language Impairments > 6 (January-December 2021) . - 23969415211053264 Titre : Relations between language, non-verbal cognition, and conceptualization in non- or minimally verbal individuals with ASD across the lifespan Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Dominika SLUŠNÁ, Auteur ; Andrea RODRÍGUEZ, Auteur ; Berta SALVADÓ, Auteur ; Agustín VICENTE, Auteur ; Wolfram HINZEN, Auteur Article en page(s) : 23969415211053264 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Non- or minimally verbal autism  language  nonverbal cognition  adults Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background & aimsIndividuals with non- or minimally verbal autism (nvASD) are primarily characterized by a severe speech production deficit, with speech limited to no or only a few words by school age. Significant unclarity remains over variability in language profiles across the lifespan, the nature of the language impairment seen, and (dis-) associations between linguistic and nonverbal cognitive measures.MethodsTo address these questions, we recruited both a school-age and an adult group with nvASD (total N = 49) and investigated relations between expressive and receptive language, and between these and nonverbal intelligence quotient (NVIQ) and sense-making capacities (the ComFor test).ResultsResults revealed limited variation across this sample in receptive language, which in turn predicted expressive language levels. Importantly, an upward trend in verbal mental age (VMA) across increasing chronological age was seen in the youngsters (only). A radical dissociation between NVIQ and both expressive and receptive language transpired as well, and a subset of individuals with normal NVIQ were comparable in terms of any other cognitive aspect. Sense-making reached symbolic levels in 62.2% of the sample and loaded on both verbal and nonverbal factors.ConclusionsThese patterns inform theories of nvASD by revealing an impairment that is not conceptualizable as one of expressive language only, sharply limits learning opportunities across the lifespan, and cannot be compensated for by nonverbal cognition.ImplicationsThese findings stress the need to seize developmental opportunities that may disappear when youngsters turn into adults, via therapies that specifically target language as a central cognitive system comprising both production and comprehension. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/23969415211053264 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=459 [article] Relations between language, non-verbal cognition, and conceptualization in non- or minimally verbal individuals with ASD across the lifespan [texte imprimé] / Dominika SLUŠNÁ, Auteur ; Andrea RODRÍGUEZ, Auteur ; Berta SALVADÓ, Auteur ; Agustín VICENTE, Auteur ; Wolfram HINZEN, Auteur . - 23969415211053264. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism & Developmental Language Impairments > 6 (January-December 2021) . - 23969415211053264 Mots-clés : Non- or minimally verbal autism  language  nonverbal cognition  adults Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background & aimsIndividuals with non- or minimally verbal autism (nvASD) are primarily characterized by a severe speech production deficit, with speech limited to no or only a few words by school age. Significant unclarity remains over variability in language profiles across the lifespan, the nature of the language impairment seen, and (dis-) associations between linguistic and nonverbal cognitive measures.MethodsTo address these questions, we recruited both a school-age and an adult group with nvASD (total N = 49) and investigated relations between expressive and receptive language, and between these and nonverbal intelligence quotient (NVIQ) and sense-making capacities (the ComFor test).ResultsResults revealed limited variation across this sample in receptive language, which in turn predicted expressive language levels. Importantly, an upward trend in verbal mental age (VMA) across increasing chronological age was seen in the youngsters (only). A radical dissociation between NVIQ and both expressive and receptive language transpired as well, and a subset of individuals with normal NVIQ were comparable in terms of any other cognitive aspect. Sense-making reached symbolic levels in 62.2% of the sample and loaded on both verbal and nonverbal factors.ConclusionsThese patterns inform theories of nvASD by revealing an impairment that is not conceptualizable as one of expressive language only, sharply limits learning opportunities across the lifespan, and cannot be compensated for by nonverbal cognition.ImplicationsThese findings stress the need to seize developmental opportunities that may disappear when youngsters turn into adults, via therapies that specifically target language as a central cognitive system comprising both production and comprehension. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/23969415211053264 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=459

Testing the Labeling Effect in Autistic Children / Elena CASTROVIEJO ; José V. HERNÁNDEZ-CONDE ; Ekaine RODRÍGUEZ-ARMENDARIZ ; Agustín VICENTE in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 55-8 (August 2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inJournal of Autism and Developmental Disorders > 55-8 (August 2025) . - p.2774-2787 Titre : Testing the Labeling Effect in Autistic Children Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Elena CASTROVIEJO, Auteur ; José V. HERNÁNDEZ-CONDE, Auteur ; Ekaine RODRÍGUEZ-ARMENDARIZ, Auteur ; Agustín VICENTE, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.2774-2787 Langues : Anglais (eng) Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Our objective was to test the labeling effect in autistic children. The effect has been robustly tested in typically developing (TD) individuals. TD children expect that any two objects that receive the same linguistic label will have similar properties, which suggests that they generate concepts based on acts of labeling. The labeling effect has not been tested on autistic children, who may not be equally attuned to the relevance of linguistic clues or may not generalize as swiftly as TD children. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06388-1 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=565 [article] Testing the Labeling Effect in Autistic Children [texte imprimé] / Elena CASTROVIEJO, Auteur ; José V. HERNÁNDEZ-CONDE, Auteur ; Ekaine RODRÍGUEZ-ARMENDARIZ, Auteur ; Agustín VICENTE, Auteur . - p.2774-2787. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders > 55-8 (August 2025) . - p.2774-2787 Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Our objective was to test the labeling effect in autistic children. The effect has been robustly tested in typically developing (TD) individuals. TD children expect that any two objects that receive the same linguistic label will have similar properties, which suggests that they generate concepts based on acts of labeling. The labeling effect has not been tested on autistic children, who may not be equally attuned to the relevance of linguistic clues or may not generalize as swiftly as TD children. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06388-1 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=565

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