Correlation between the vocabulary level and the psychosocial adjustment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (level 1)

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) level 1, primarily have difficulties with psychosocial adjustment. However, they often experience language deficits which have been associated with a decline in their social, emotional and academic competence, as well as with the presence of behavioral problems. The present study presents correlation data between the individual domains of psychosocial adjustment and the two types of vocabulary, perceptive and expressive. The research sample consists of 6 pre-school age children with level 1 ASD diagnosis, who were assessed in the two - under study - domains with standardized, in the Greek-language, tools. The results showed that there is a very strong correlation between perceptive vocabulary and social competence of children with ASD as well as between word definition ability and school competence. However, a strong negative correlation between behavioral problems and word definition ability was demonstrated.