Linguistic markers of autism in girls: evidence of a "blended phenotype" during storytelling.

The story task was semi-structured, so the findings may not apply to everyday conversation. No targeted language assessment was given, so subtle language differences between boys and girls could not be fully separated. Children who needed significant help understanding or completing the task were excluded, so the results apply to verbal children with average-range comprehension and production. Executive function was not measured, although the picture support may have reduced its influence. Cognitive process words were counted using one software dictionary, so different word definitions could change results. The autism group had fewer girls than boys, so findings for girls need replication. The sample included girls who had been referred and diagnosed, so girls whose symptoms were less obvious may not be represented.

Funded by Autism Science Foundation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Eagles Charitable Trust, McMorris Family Foundation, and Allerton Foundation. No conflicts of interest are stated in the supplied text.

Do not conclude that a child who uses thinking words is not autistic. Autistic girls in this study used thinking words at levels similar to typical peers. They also used more nouns.