Language acquisition, both in typical development and in autism, depends on a complex interweaving of predis-positions and experiences and on the progressive improvement of motor skills that, increasingly refined, play an important role in forming new neuronal connections necessary for language development. The inability of children with autism to integrate all these skills may cause them difficulties in understanding and expressing themselves through speech. These difficulties are often addressed using highly structured strategies that do not easily promote generative responding; they can be used to teach specific responses rather than generalized repertoires.
In this article, we provide a summary of research on language in typical development and autism, with a focus on morphosyntax, Relational Frame Theory and their possible implications for language treatment.