Does Language Guide Behavior in Children with Autism?

It is unknown if children with high-functioning autism (HFA) employ self-directed speech to guide motor sequencing and motor control, or if they can benefit from using self-directed speech when prompted to do so. Participants performed a three-movement sequence across three conditions: Natural Learning, Task-Congruent Verbalization (TCV), and Task-Incongruent Verbalization (TIV). TIV deleteriously impacted performance in the typically-developing group ( n = 22), and not the HFA group ( n = 21). TCV improved performance in both groups, but to a greater extent in the HFA group. These findings suggest that children with HFA do not initiate self-directed speech spontaneously, but can use language to guide behavior when prompted to do so.