Intonation and sentence-final particles in narrative production in Cantonese-speaking adults with high-functioning Autism

Abstract

This study compared the intonation pattern and the use of sentence-final particles (SFPs) in narratives produced by Cantonese-speaking adults with and without high-functioning autism (HFA). Nineteen adults with HFA (18;11-33;5) were matched with 19 neurotypical (NT) peers on age, sex, and educational level. Participants retold a story and the narrative samples were transcribed verbatim and analyzed acoustically. For the intonation, the HFA group demonstrated significantly increased fundamental frequency (F0) variation in terms of standard deviation (SD) of F0. For the use of SFPs, both groups showed similar SFPs token but the HFA group produced significantly fewer types of SFPs. The HFA group showed a moderate correlation between intonation and the average types of SFPs produced while such a relationship was absent in the NT group. The present study supported that atypical intonation pattern in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a universal feature as it also presented in a tone language where the role of intonation is less salient. Group differences in use of SFPs also highlighted that certain symptoms of ASD can be culturally and linguistically specific.