A quarterly publication of the Autism Research Institute
Winter 2026 | Number 1, Volume 40
Most nonverbal or minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who receive evidence-based early intervention develop the ability to speak, according to a study by a multinational group of researchers.
Giacomo Vivanti and colleagues examined the outcomes of 707 preschoolers on the autism spectrum who received evidence-based early intervention for six to 24 months. They report, “Approximately two-thirds of children who were non-speaking at baseline were using single words or more complex spoken language by intervention exit.” Around half of the children who did not speak at the beginning of the interventions, or only spoke single words, were combining words by the end of the interventions. Children who did not develop language or only developed the ability to use single words had lower scores on cognitive, social, adaptive, and motor imitation measures. Interestingly, the results were similar for all early intervention programs studied, even though the programs used a variety of approaches.
The researchers found that younger age at the start of intervention correlated with better outcomes, and that intervention duration—but not intensity—was associated with progression to phrase-length speech. The latter finding, they say, suggests that “improvements in this group might occur without the need for highly intensive intervention schedules… while longer duration, continuity of services, and extended opportunities for practicing skills might play a role.”
In addition, the researcher say, their study suggests that children who do not initially make progress in speaking may benefit from “prelinguistic” interventions that target the imitative, cognitive, and socialcommunication skills that are precursors to spoken language.
“Proportion and profile of autistic children not acquiring spoken language despite receiving evidence-based early interventions,” Giacomo Vivanti, Michael V. Lombardo, Ashley Zitter, Brian Boyd, Cheryl Dissanayake, Sarah Dufek, Helen E. Flanagan, Suzannah Iadarola, Ann Kaiser, So Hyun Kim, Lynne Levato, Catherine Lord, Joshua Plavnick, Diana L. Robins, Sally J. Rogers, Isabel M. Smith, Tristram Smith, Aubyn Stahmer, and Linda Watson, Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, November 20, 2025 (free online). Address: Giacomo Vivanti, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, 3020 Market Street, Suite 560, Philadelphia, PA 19104, giacomo. [email protected].
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“Early intervention helps most autistic children acquire spoken language,” news release, Drexel University, January 2026.
