Filled Pause Use in Autistic Adults and Their First-Degree Relatives: Gender Differences and Within-Family Associations

Our findings build on research on gender differences in autism. The association between lower <i>um</i> ratio and more autism traits indicates that <i>um</i> may be a pragmatic marker related to core features of autism. The differential relationships in filled pauses of autistic adults and filled pauses and BAP features of their parents suggest that filled pauses may be familial. Findings have implications for examining the utility of filled pauses as markers of genetic liability for autism.