Dificultades de comprensión del lenguaje en niños no verbales con trastornos del espectro autista y sus implicaciones en la calidad de vida familiar

Abstract

Language widely varies in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Evidence, however, suggests that these children understand language worse than their peers with typical development, showing a delay in acquisition of receptive vocabulary. Research relating quality of life (QOL) and language is limited. To increase our knowledge about structural aspects of language in children with ASD, and to determine the effects of deficits in understanding in children with ASD in their families' QOL. We analyzed language comprehension in 26 non-verbal children with ASD (mean: 9.8 years) and 26 children with typical development (mean: 3.9 years) matched for age vocabulary, using standardized measures of receptive language. We found that levels of receptive vocabulary, auditory comprehension, and grammar comprehension in children with ASD are lower than typical levels for their age, and significantly differ from those in children with typical development. Parents of children with ASD also report severe communication problems in their children and lack of social support. Family QOL is influenced by language problems of children with ASD. There is a significant relationship between receptive language skills in children with ASD and perceptions of QOL in their families. These results can have important implications for designing clinical interventions.