PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between language regression and the subsequent social-communicative development of preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). METHODS: Thirty children with ASD participated in the study and were divided into two groups: with (n= 6) and without (n= 24) language regression. Language regression was assessed by the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and the social-communicative development was measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. RESULTS: Of the 30 children who met the criteria for participation in this study, six (20%) had regression of oral language skills, with a mean age of onset of 25 months. There were no statistical significant differences in the social-communicative development between the groups with and without language regression. CONCLUSION: The findings of this research do not seem to confirm the relationship between the occurrence of language regression and the subsequent impairment on social-communicative development of children with ASD.
Autistic disorder; Language; Social behavior; Communication