Differences in speech articulatory timing and associations with pragmatic language ability in autism.

Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 101300021 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 1750-9467 (Print) NLM ISO Abbreviation: Res Autism Spectr Disord Subsets: PubMed not MEDLINE

Original Publication: Amsterdam : Elsevier

Background: Speech articulation difficulties have not traditionally been considered to be a feature of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In contrast, speech prosodic differences have been widely reported in ASD, and may even be expressed in subtle form among clinically unaffected first-degree relatives, representing the expression of underlying genetic liability. Some evidence has challenged this traditional dichotomy, suggesting that differences in speech articulatory mechanisms may be evident in ASD, and potentially related to perceived prosodic differences. Clinical measurement of articulatory skills has traditionally been phoneme-based, rather than by acoustic measurement of motor control. Subtle differences in articulatory/motor control, prosodic characteristics (acoustic), and pragmatic language ability (linguistic) may each be contributors to differences perceived by listeners, but the interrelationship is unclear. In this study, we examined the articulatory aspects of this relationship, in speech samples from individuals with ASD and their parents during narration.
Method: Using Speechmark ^® analysis, we examined articulatory landmarks, fine-grained representations of articulatory timing as series of laryngeal and vocal-tract gestures pertaining to prosodic elements crucial for conveying pragmatic information.
Results: Results revealed articulatory timing differences in individuals with ASD but not their parents, suggesting that although potentially not influenced by broader genetic liability to ASD, subtle articulatory differences may indeed be evident in ASD as the recent literature indicates. A follow-up path analysis detected associations between articulatory timing differences and prosody, and subsequently, pragmatic language ability.
Conclusion: Together, results suggest a complex relationship where subtle differences in articulatory timing may result in atypical acoustic signals, and serve as a distal mechanistic contributor to pragmatic language ability ASD.
Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2004;10(2):106-11. (PMID: 15362165)
Brain. 2000 Apr;123 ( Pt 4):836-44. (PMID: 10734014)
Front Psychol. 2020 Jan 24;10:2952. (PMID: 32038364)
Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2008 Jun 5;147B(4):424-33. (PMID: 17948871)
Clin Linguist Phon. 2022 Mar 4;36(2-3):127-145. (PMID: 34060400)
Brain Sci. 2021 Nov 23;11(12):. (PMID: 34942852)
J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2008 Sep;67(9):829-37. (PMID: 18716561)
J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2022 Apr 4;65(4):1416-1425. (PMID: 35235372)
J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2001 Oct;44(5):1097-115. (PMID: 11708530)
Brain Lang. 2002 Mar;80(3):556-75. (PMID: 11896657)
J Acoust Soc Am. 2017 Nov;142(5):EL441. (PMID: 29195420)
Am J Med Genet. 1997 Jul 25;74(4):398-411. (PMID: 9259376)
Front Neurosci. 2015 Nov 06;9:420. (PMID: 26594141)
Lang Cogn Process. 2001 Apr 1;16(2-3):287-308. (PMID: 16703115)
Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2007 Sep;46(7):604-11. (PMID: 17522288)
Psychol Med. 1992 Feb;22(1):245-54. (PMID: 1574562)
J Acoust Soc Am. 2002 Apr;111(4):1872-91. (PMID: 12002871)
J Autism Dev Disord. 2020 Aug;50(8):3032-3045. (PMID: 32056118)
J Autism Dev Disord. 2000 Jun;30(3):205-23. (PMID: 11055457)
Curr Opin Neurobiol. 1997 Apr;7(2):269-78. (PMID: 9142760)
N Am J Med Sci (Boston). 2013;5(3):157-161. (PMID: 24349628)
J Autism Dev Disord. 2011 Apr;41(4):405-26. (PMID: 20972615)
Dev Psychol. 2006 Sep;42(5):809-18. (PMID: 16953688)
Res Autism Spectr Disord. 2008 Jan 1;2(1):110-124. (PMID: 19337577)
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2004 Jan;45(1):135-70. (PMID: 14959806)
J Autism Dev Disord. 2021 Aug;51(8):2929-2949. (PMID: 33098477)
Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2007 Nov-Dec;42(6):682-702. (PMID: 17885824)
Can J Psychiatry. 2005 Feb;50(2):115-22. (PMID: 15807228)
Sci Rep. 2021 Nov 29;11(1):23093. (PMID: 34845298)
J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2013 Apr;56(2):721-34. (PMID: 23275403)
Front Integr Neurosci. 2013 Jul 01;7:47. (PMID: 23847480)
Wiley Interdiscip Rev Cogn Sci. 2020 Sep;11(5):e1528. (PMID: 32244259)
Autism Res. 2011 Jun;4(3):177-88. (PMID: 21308998)
J Autism Dev Disord. 2018 Feb;48(2):351-360. (PMID: 28988374)
J Autism Dev Disord. 2003 Jun;33(3):239-51. (PMID: 12908827)
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2018 May 9;:. (PMID: 29741273)
J Autism Child Schizophr. 1976 Dec;6(4):297-302. (PMID: 1036736)
Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2017 Aug 15;26(3):1011-1029. (PMID: 28772287)
Autism Res. 2019 Aug;12(8):1192-1210. (PMID: 31187944)
Dev Psychobiol. 2004 Jul;45(1):22-33. (PMID: 15229873)
J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2000 Apr;28(2):193-204. (PMID: 10834770)
Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2012;67(5):409-14. (PMID: 22666781)
J Voice. 2020 Jul;34(4):645.e11-645.e18. (PMID: 30642708)
PLoS One. 2022 Jun 8;17(6):e0269637. (PMID: 35675372)
Brain Lang. 2004 Feb;88(2):229-47. (PMID: 14965544)
Am J Hum Genet. 2007 Sep;81(3):582-8. (PMID: 17701903)
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 May;66(5):518-26. (PMID: 19414711)
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1994 Jul;35(5):877-900. (PMID: 7962246)
Autism Res. 2017 Dec;10(12):1991-2001. (PMID: 28815940)
J Acoust Soc Am. 1999 Mar;105(3):1455-68. (PMID: 10089598)
Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2003 Oct-Dec;38(4):325-50. (PMID: 14578051)
J Autism Dev Disord. 2012 Apr;42(4):499-511. (PMID: 21528425)
Sci Rep. 2022 Jul 7;12(1):11496. (PMID: 35798758)
J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2015 Oct;36(8):569-74. (PMID: 26114615)
Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2012 Sep;159B(6):660-8. (PMID: 22693142)
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008 Jan;49(1):43-50. (PMID: 17979963)
J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2021 Aug 13;11(5):469-480. (PMID: 34760790)
Autism Res. 2022 Apr;15(4):653-664. (PMID: 34957701)
J Autism Dev Disord. 1981 Mar;11(1):45-56. (PMID: 6927698)
J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2006 Feb;34(1):87-102. (PMID: 16485176)
J Autism Dev Disord. 2014 Oct;44(10):2400-12. (PMID: 23143131)

R01 DC010191 United States DC NIDCD NIH HHS; R03 DC018644 United States DC NIDCD NIH HHS; R03 MH107834 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R44 DC010104 United States DC NIDCD NIH HHS

Keywords: ASD; Articulatory Timing; Pragmatics; Prosody; Speech Articulation

Date Created: 20230724 Latest Revision: 20240402

20240402

PMC10358876

10.1016/j.rasd.2023.102118

37484484