Language and Aggressive Behaviors in Male and Female Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The aggression measure was a CBCL Aggressive Behavior T-score, and the authors note it cannot separate verbal from physical aggression or reactive from proactive aggression. The Vineland-II and CBCL were both parent report, so shared parent reporting may have contributed to the association. The three communication measures were correlated, so the individual contribution of each communication score should be read cautiously. The study did not measure the function of aggression, such as escape, protest, or frustration. The sample excluded known genetic or neurological conditions, significant pregnancy or perinatal complications, and sensory or motor impairments, and all participants were verbally fluent with verbal scores ≥70, so the results may not apply to youth with ASD who have intellectual disability or less fluent language. The female subgroup analysis found no significant models, but that does not prove that aggression in females with ASD is unrelated to these factors.

The authors declared no financial interest in the outcome. McPartland has funding from Janssen Research and Development and book royalties from Guilford, Springer, and Lambert Press.

Do not read the communication finding as proof that language therapy will reduce aggression. The study reports associations between parent-reported aggression and communication scores. It does not show that improving communication reduces aggression, and the same factors did not explain aggression for females.