Background: Disordered expressive prosody is a widely reported characteristic of individuals with autism. Despite this, it has received little attention in the literature and the few studies that have addressed it have not described its relationship to other aspects of communication. Aims: To determine the nature and relationship of expressive and…

Language delay became increasingly apparent with age, and more so in boys than in girls. There was no significant difference between mental ages derived from standard ability tests and corresponding age equivalent scores of a symbolic play test. A developmental progression of play similar to that seen in non-handicapped groups was found. (RH)