Symbolization levels in communicative behaviors of children showing pervasive developmental disorders.

A total of 48 children with severe pervasive developmental disturbance were observed in their communicative behaviors across modalities of language, gesture, play, and drawing. As predicted, levels of symbolization in gesture, play, and drawing were significantly intercorrelated and most strongly correlated with the criterion variable of expressive language. Children who were echolalic showed levels of symbolization intermediate between those of mute children and those with nonecholalic language. The correlation between the expressive language measure and a standardized measure of receptive language for 22 testable children also was significant. The results are discussed in the context of earlier studies of symbol production in verbal samples of disturbed and nonhandicapped children.