HealthDay (3/5, Marcus) reports, “A new study that looked at speech delays in children with autism spectrum disorders [ASDs] found that 70 percent of children who were not stringing words together into even the simplest of phrases by age four went on to do so by age eight, and in some cases, even achieved fluent speech.” The study involving 500 youngsters with ASDs was published online March 4 in the journal Pediatrics. Notably, “strong predictors of a child’s ability to go on to develop phrase or fluent speech skills included his or her non-verbal IQ and being less impaired socially,” the study found.
Related Links:
— “Most Kids With Autism Overcome Language Delays, Study Finds, “Mary Brophy Marcus, HealthDay, March 4, 2013.