Higher Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders: Revealing Communication Deficits [ASHA Session]

The superficial communication skills of higher functioning persons with ASD lead most to believe that communication abilities are intact. Communication deficits often are disguised by precocious speaking styles and large vocabularies. Case managers may not see the need for an SLP because the individual can ‘talk.’ If an SLP is recruited, that clinician is often at a loss as to what to do to assess the student. This paper will discuss assessment strategies that reveal these hidden deficits. "