Abstract

This study aims at examining communicative and linguistic development in children with autism and with mental delay in order to identify specific aspects characterizing these developmental disorders. A structured questionnaire (QSCL) was administered to the parents of 27 children with autism and 27 children with mental delay. The subjects were matched on the basis of mental age and each clinical group was divided into three developmental levels (6-11 months, 12-17 months, 18-24 months). The results show how children with mental delay display a gradual acquisition of communicative abilities whereas children with autism exhibit a rather asynchronous developmental profile.