INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
ISSN(p in ): 2643-9840, ISSN(online): 2643-9875
Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025
DOI: 10.47191/ijm a/ 8-i10-08, Impac Fac o : 8.266
Page No. 5552-5559
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5552
The Spoken Language o Lea ne s wi h Au ism: A Mic os uc u al App oach
Danielle La izze O. Galla do
Nue a Ecija Uni e si y o Science and Technology
ABSTRACT: This esea ch analyzed he spoken language o selec ed lea ne s diagnosed wi h Au ism in Nue a Ecija using a
Mic os uc u al analysis. O e all, he e we e se en au ism spec um diso de (ASD) pa icipan s in Bongabon, Cabiao, and San
Jose Ci y, Nue a Ecija. Upon he consen o hei pa en s and gua dians, hey we e eco ded o one week o ga he hei spoken
language. A e wa ds, hei eco ded spoken language was abula ed in e ms o he g amma ical app oach, g amma ical
complexi y, and lexical di e si y. Using Mic os uc u al analysis, his esea ch concluded ha among he se en pa icipan s in his
s udy, Pa icipan 5 was he mos g amma ically complex lea ne ; while Pa icipan s 1 and 6 we e he mos language p oduc i e
and lexically di e se. The pa en s and gua dians o he pa icipan s we e also in e iewed. To alida e and iangula e he esul s
o he eco ding wi h he in e iew, he esea che sough he help o expe s in he ield o Psychology and Linguis ics. A cou se
ou line was p oposed as an ou pu o his esea ch se o de elop and moni o he p og ess o he pa icipan s. I is essen ial ha
he eache s ensu e ha he opics p o ided o he lea ne s ollow h ough he age o equi alen se by Mille (1981) which
anges om <18 o 24 mon hs. Hence, he p oposed cou se ou line con ains a se ies o ac i i ies wi h goals o lea ne s o (1)
demons a e basic speaking skills necessa y o communica e wi h hei en i onmen ; (2) use a ange o lexical i ems o cons uc
sen ences and p o ide basic unc ion; and (3) demons a e app op ia e social beha io s in speaking. I is ecommended ha hei
eache s begin eaching hese lea ne s wi h phonology, ollowed by mo phology and syn ax be o e p oceeding o discou se.
KEYWORDS: Au ism, mic os uc u al analysis, spoken language, cou se ou line, Age o Equi alen
I. INTRODUCTION
Noam Chomsky (1968) de ined language as he “human essence”; a dis inc i e quali y ha only we—human beings— possess.
In ac , in A ica, a newbo n baby is called a kin u— “a hing”; and is only called a mun u— “a pe son” once i de elops a language.
F omkin, Rodman, and Hyams (2014) u he ei e a e ha language is a sou ce o human li e and powe and ha in o de o a
socie y o be unde s ood, he na u e o language mus con inue o be comp ehended. F om babbling o cons uc ing discou se,
language acquisi ion has been an in eg al pa o a lea ne ’s g ow h and de elopmen . Wagne (1997) u he desc ibes language
acquisi ion as he capabili y o humans o acqui e language o en ep esen ed in he b ain.
Howe e , some imes, language acquisi ion is mo e di icul o lea ne s caused by ce ain language diso de s such as au ism
spec um diso de o ASD.
ASD is usually i s diagnosed in child en aged om wo o h ee yea s old; while he e a e child en wi h au ism ha de elop
no mally un il oddle hood when hey s op acqui ing o lose p e iously gained skills. I is a de elopmen al diso de o en
associa ed wi h pe sis en de ici s in social communica ion and in e ac ion such as es ic ed epe i i e pa e ns o beha io ,
in e es s, o ac i i ies (APA, 2013). I is a medical condi ion ha has always been p esen in many coun ies including he
Philippines.
Wi h he di icul y o unde s anding and decoding he language, ASD lea ne s also ha e a ha d ime communica ing— whe he
e bal o non- e bal. Acco ding o he Na ional Ins i u e on Dea ness and O he Communica ion Diso de s (2020), he abili y o
ASD lea ne s o communica e and use he language la gely depends on hei in ellec ual and social de elopmen . While some ASD
lea ne s ha e e y limi ed speaking skills, some may ha e ich ocabula ies, and be able o alk abou speci ic subjec s in g ea
de ail. These di icul ies, when combined, a ec he abili y o lea ne s wi h ASD o in e ac wi h o he people.
I is he e o e essen ial o ASD lea ne s o be augh o imp o e hei communica ion skills so hey can each hei maximum
po en ial. While he e is no one- size- i s-all app oach when i comes o he bes ea men p og am o ASD lea ne s, he p og am
mus be highly s uc u ed and specialized o hei needs ha add ess hei beha io as well as communica ion skills whe e aside
om eache s, he pa en s o he p ima y ca egi e s o he ASD lea ne s—and e en hei en i onmen —a e in ol ed.
The Spoken Language o Lea ne s wi h Au ism: A Mic os uc u al App oach
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5553
Howe e , i hey a e o be combined wi h dea and mu e pa ien s- o example- how can hei language and communica ion
skills de elop? Mo eo e , how can he implemen a ion o inclusi e educa ion in he Philippines help in illing he gap o a well-
ounded cu iculum o lea ne s unde he Au ism Spec um?
This s udy en i led; “The Spoken Language o Lea ne s wi h Au ism: A Mic os uc u al App oach” e alua es he cu en
si ua ion o ASD lea ne s in Nue a Ecija. Speci ically, his s udy analyzes he spoken language o lea ne s wi h Au ism by a deepe
unde s anding o he lea ne s’ language p oduc i i y, g amma ical complexi y, and lexical di e si y. Th ough his, he esea che
hopes o p opose an in e ening esolu ion h ough a cou se ou line ha speci ically ca e s o he needs o lea ne s diagnosed
wi h Au ism.
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
Au ism was i s desc ibed by Kanne (1943, as ci ed in Luce o, 2017), who iden i ied dis inc beha io s among 11 child en
ini ially diagnosed wi h men al e a da ion and schizoph enia, coining he e m ea ly in an ile au ism. Aspe ge (1944) la e
o mally ecognized au ism as a diso de . The e m au ism, in oduced by Bleule in 1910, o igina es om he G eek au os meaning
“sel ,” while spec um deno es he ange o impai men s and synd omes associa ed wi h he condi ion. Co e cha ac e is ics
include social and communica i e de ici s, o en accompanied by como bidi ies such as beha io al p oblems, anxie y, dep ession,
sleep and ea ing diso de s, hype ac i i y, and delayed language acquisi ion (Ali, Al-Adwan, & Al-Naima , 2019).
Adams (2011) cha ac e ized au ism as a neu opsychia ic diso de ma ked by pe sis en impai men s in social in e ac ion,
communica ion, and beha io , along wi h es ic ed and s e eo yped in e es s. The DSM-5 (Ame ican Psychia ic Associa ion
[APA], 2013) ou lines diagnos ic c i e ia: (a) pe sis en de ici s in social communica ion ac oss con ex s; (b) es ic ed and
epe i i e beha io s o in e es s; (c) onse du ing ea ly childhood; (d) signi ican impai men in daily unc ioning; and (e) symp oms
no be e explained by in ellec ual disabili y o global de elopmen al delays. Diagnosis equi es a leas six indica o s. Ea ly
iden i ica ion is c i ical, as delays in social in e ac ion and language wi hin he i s h ee yea s o en de ia e om expec ed
de elopmen al pa e ns. Ea ly in e en ion hus imp o es p ognosis. B en ani, Bo dini, and de Paula (2013) no ed ha , beyond
communica ion di icul ies, in an s may p esen i i abili y, a ypical esponsi eness, al e ed ac i i y le els, and mo o delays.
Speech-language pa hologis s play a cen al ole in in e en ion, conduc ing communica ion assessmen s and designing
ea men p og ams. Despi e pe asi e di icul ies, child en wi h ASD may also display excep ional s eng hs in ma hema ics, he
a s, o music (Da idson, Hopkins, K ing, & Neale, 2010).
Child en wi h ASD equen ly de elop wo d ecogni ion skills bu demons a e poo eading comp ehension (Smi h, 2017). This
disc epancy e lec s a ocus on linguis ic de ails and di icul y applying backg ound knowledge o in e p e ambiguous language
(Wahlbe g & Magliano, 2010; C onin, 2014). Da idson e al. (2010) u he no ed ha al hough ea ly signs o ASD may appea in
in ancy, symp oms ypically in ensi y a ound age wo.
Inclusi e educa ion has been ins i u ionalized in he Philippines h ough he Uni ed Na ions, he Depa men o Educa ion, and
he Commission on Highe Educa ion, in eg a ing lea ne s wi h addi ional needs—including hose wi h ASD—in o mains eam
class ooms. These ini ia i es we e ega ded as p og essi e un il dis up ed by he COVID-19 pandemic. Es ada (2003), in Sena e
Bill No. 618 (An Ac o Es ablishing a Cen e o Au ism), es ima ed ha one in 500 Filipinos is a ec ed by au ism, hough only 10%
a e o mally diagnosed. Es ada emphasized ha inadequa e go e nmen suppo pe pe ua es he ma ginaliza ion o indi iduals
wi h ASD.
Luce o’s (2017) phenomenological s udy o Filipino mo he s aising child en wi h au ism in Ca i e iden i ied e ec i e pa en ing
echniques—p og essi e, e o m, and wa m h pa en ing—highligh ing au onomy, conscien iousness, imp o ed sociabili y, and
mode a ed agg ession as posi i e ou comes. In a ela ed s udy, Chepnge ich, Ng’eno, and Sanga (2022) examined pa en s in
Mandaue Ci y, inding coping mechanisms cen e ed on daily s uggles, emo ional suppo , and access o in o ma ion.
Policy e o s ha e also eme ged. The Na ional Au ism Ca e Plan Ac , au ho ed by Rep esen a i e Tomasi o Villa in, seeks o
es ablish suppo i e en i onmen s o os e independence and p oduc i i y among indi iduals wi h ASD (Au ism Socie y
Philippines, 2019). The Ac includes he c ea ion o he Au ism Council o he Philippines, asked wi h implemen ing a long- e m
na ional plan. The Au ism Socie y also spea heads he annual Na ional Au ism Consciousness Week o p omo e awa eness and
ad ocacy.
W i ing de elopmen can be s udied h ough mic os uc u al ea u es such as p oduc i i y, g amma ical complexi y, and lexical
di e si y (Hall-Mills, 2010). P oduc i i y e e s o wo d o ma ion and g amma use (Palme , 2015), g amma ical complexi y
e lec s language quali y and de elopmen (Lan, Liu, & S aples, 2019), and lexical di e si y measu es he a ie y o wo ds used in
discou se (Halliday, 1985, as ci ed in Johansson, 1995).
Se e al s udies examined mic os uc u e in exposi o y w i ing among ypically de eloping lea ne s. Mo is and C ump (1982,
as ci ed in Hall-Mills, 2010) ound ha syn ac ic densi y p o ided deepe insigh s in o syn ax quali y, while mean leng h o T-uni
The Spoken Language o Lea ne s wi h Au ism: A Mic os uc u al App oach
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5554
and ype/ oken a io we e sensi i e o de elopmen al di e ences in lea ne s aged nine o i een. Sco and Windso (2000)
compa ed na a i e and exposi o y w i ing among 60 pa icipan s, concluding ha na a i es elici ed highe pe o mance in mos
mic os uc u e a iables, wi h no signi ican di e ences in g amma ical e o a es. Houck and Billingsley (1989) s udied lea ne s
in g ades ou , eigh , and ele en, inding signi ican g ade-le el e ec s in T-uni s, spelling, and lexical di e si y, sugges ing
de elopmen al g ow h in p oduc i i y and lexical di e si y.
Al hough hese s udies documen de elopmen al ajec o ies in ypically de eloping lea ne s, esea ch emains limi ed o he
mic os uc u al analysis o spoken ex s p oduced by s uden s wi h ASD. Add essing his gap is cen al o he p esen s udy.
III. METHODOLOGY
This s udy employed a quali a i e desc ip i e design using mic os uc u al analysis o examine he spoken language o lea ne s
diagnosed wi h au ism spec um diso de (ASD). The design ocused on iden i ying language p oduc i i y, g amma ical complexi y,
and lexical di e si y, allowing o an in-dep h analysis o na u ally occu ing language use. Pu posi e sampling, a o m o
nonp obabili y sampling, was used o selec pa icipan s who could p o ide ele an linguis ic da a.
The s udy was conduc ed in Nue a Ecija, speci ically in he municipali ies o Bongabon, Cabiao, and San Jose Ci y. Despi e he
esea che ’s e o o include pa icipan s om all dis ic s, only pa en s and gua dians om hese h ee loca ions consen ed o
pa icipa e. In o al, se en ASD lea ne s, anging in age om i e o hi y, we e included. They we e ei he en olled o no en olled
in SPED o inclusi e educa ion p og ams, depending on amily esou ces and access o se ices.
The pa icipan s a ied widely in social backg ounds, educa ional exposu e, and he apeu ic in e en ions. One pa icipan , a
14-yea -old male om San Jose Ci y, had been diagnosed wi h ASD a age h ee and, hough cu en ly en olled in SPED and
a ending he apy, could only p oduce sho , g amma ically inconsis en ph ases. Ano he pa icipan , a 28-yea -old male om
Cabiao, had minimal access o in e en ions and emained unable o cons uc simple sen ences. A en-yea -old male om San
Jose had p e iously a ended speech and occupa ional he apy bu showed limi ed sen ence cons uc ion. A six-yea -old om
Bongabon was newly diagnosed and en olled in occupa ional he apy, wi h plans o u u e SPED placemen . Finally, h ee siblings
om Cabiao, aged 22, 17, and 11, p esen ed a ying abili ies: he eldes , wi h some he apy and mains eam schooling expe ience,
could o m simple sen ences and manage daily asks; he second displayed s ong in e es in singing bu had limi ed con e sa ional
abili y; and he younges , wi h no he apy his o y, was he mos ese ed. These p o iles e lec he di e si y o linguis ic and social
con ex s wi hin which ASD lea ne s de elop. Dis ibu ion o pa icipan s is shown below.
Da a collec ion employed h ee p ima y ins umen s: (1) a eco ding de ice wo n by he lea ne s o cap u e spoken language
o e one week, (2) guided in e iew ques ions o pa en s and gua dians, and (3) an obse a ion guide c ea ed by he esea che
o help ca egi e s moni o p oduc i i y, g amma ical complexi y, and lexical di e si y. Pa en s we e b ie ed on he objec i es o
he s udy, use o he eco ding de ice, and e hical conside a ions, a e which in o med consen was ob ained. Alongside
eco dings, in e iews ga he ed backg ound on each lea ne ’s diagnosis, speech miles ones, hobbies, social engagemen , and
common u e ances.
Once he da a was collec ed, all spoken language was ansc ibed o analysis. The esea che examined language p oduc i i y
by coun ing he o al numbe o wo ds and T-uni s, as well as calcula ing mean leng h o T-uni , clause densi y, and equency o
g amma ical e o s. Below a e he o mulas used o mean leng h o T-uni and clause densi y.
A. Fo mula o Mean Leng h o T-uni
The Spoken Language o Lea ne s wi h Au ism: A Mic os uc u al App oach
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5555
B. Fo mula o Clause Densi y
G amma ical complexi y was assessed h ough clause densi y and subo dina ion, while lexical di e si y was measu ed h ough
he numbe o di e en wo ds and lexical di e si y a ios. Below is he o mula o lexical di e si y.
C. Fo mula o Lexical Di e si y
These analyses we e iangula ed wi h in e iew esponses and alida ed by expe s in Linguis ics and Psychology o ensu e
eliabili y.
The esea che ’s ole was cen al no only in acili a ing da a collec ion bu also in sa egua ding pa icipan s’ p i acy and
digni y. In line wi h Denzin and Lincoln’s (2005) asse ion ha quali a i e esea ch in e p e s phenomena in na u al se ings, his
s udy emphasized e hical esponsibili y and olun a y pa icipa ion. Pa en s and gua dians we e ully in o med, and iden i ies
we e kep con iden ial. Valida ion was enhanced using Lincoln and Guba’s (1985) p inciple o dependabili y, as well as Eise ’s
(1991) concep s o s uc u al co obo a ion, consensual alida ion, and e e en ial adequacy. Two alida o s—expe s in Applied
Linguis ics and Psychology— e iewed he ansc ip s and analyses. Thei eedback was inco po a ed in o he indings, and esul s
we e u he subs an ia ed by ela ed s udies, s eng hening he s uc u al co obo a ion o he esea ch.
Th ough his design, he s udy p o ided no only linguis ic insigh s in o he spoken language o ASD lea ne s bu also p ac ical
implica ions o de eloping a cou se ou line esponsi e o hei unique communica i e needs.
IV. RESULTS
The analysis o he spoken language o lea ne s wi h au ism spec um diso de (ASD) e ealed a ia ions in p oduc i i y,
g amma ical complexi y, and lexical di e si y. Mic os uc u al measu es— o al numbe o wo ds (TNW), mean leng h o T-uni
(MLTU), clause densi y (CD), and lexical di e si y (LD)—we e applied o cap u e hese dimensions.
Language p oduc i i y, as measu ed by he o al numbe o wo ds, showed conside able a ia ion. Pa icipan 1, a 14-yea -old
om San Jose Ci y, p oduced only 32 wo ds ac oss he samples analyzed, mos o which we e epe i ions and incomple e ph ases.
Pa icipan 2, a 28-yea -old om Cabiao, had he lowes p oduc i i y, p oducing only 15 wo ds in o al, a ely beyond isola ed
u e ances. Pa icipan 3, a 10-yea -old wi h p io he apy exposu e, p oduced 41 wo ds bu was unable o sus ain cohe en
con e sa ions. Pa icipan 4, a six-yea -old newly diagnosed and en olled in occupa ional he apy, managed 27 wo ds, many o
which we e mumbled o unin elligible. In con as , Pa icipan s 5, 6, and 7, siblings om Cabiao, demons a ed wide anges:
Pa icipan 5 p oduced 73 wo ds, o en used in sho sen ences abou he daily asks and aspi a ions; Pa icipan 6 p oduced 38
wo ds, la gely ied o his singing in e es s; and Pa icipan 7 p oduced only 19 wo ds, e lec ing his ex eme wi hd awal om social
in e ac ion. These esul s sugges ha access o he apy and consis en social engagemen signi ican ly in luence language
p oduc i i y.
G amma ical complexi y, e lec ed in he mean leng h o T-uni , was uni o mly low. Pa icipan 1’s u e ances a e aged 2.1
wo ds pe T-uni , indica ing eliance on sho agmen s. Pa icipan 2’s T-uni s we e he sho es , a e aging 1.7 wo ds, as mos
o his u e ances we e single wo ds. Pa icipan 3 eached an a e age o 2.3 wo ds, while Pa icipan 4 p oduced T-uni s a e aging
2.0 wo ds. Pa icipan 5 had he highes a e age, a 3.6 wo ds pe T-uni , showing sligh ly longe bu s ill simple cons uc ions.
Pa icipan 6 a e aged 2.4 wo ds, and Pa icipan 7 only 1.8 wo ds. Clause densi y alues we e simila ly low: ac oss all pa icipan s,
sen ences a ely con ained mo e han a single clause, and ins ances o subo dina ion o coo dina ion we e almos nonexis en .
This inding unde sco es Wahlbe g and Magliano’s (2010) asse ion ha indi iduals wi h ASD o en ail o de elop complex
syn ac ic s uc u es, ocusing ins ead on isola ed de ails o language.
Lexical di e si y was likewise cons ained. Pa icipan 1 had a lexical di e si y o 42 pe cen , e lec ing hea y eliance on he
same limi ed wo ds. Pa icipan 2’s lexical di e si y was 39 pe cen , as his speech e ol ed a ound a ew epea ed e ms.
Pa icipan 3 eached 45 pe cen , while Pa icipan 4 sco ed 41 pe cen . Pa icipan 5 achie ed he highes lexical di e si y a 53
pe cen , inco po a ing a somewha b oade ange o nouns and e bs in he speech. Pa icipan 6 sco ed 47 pe cen , pa icula ly
when p oducing ly ics while singing, whe eas Pa icipan 7 sco ed 38 pe cen , he lowes among he g oup. These low lexical
The Spoken Language o Lea ne s wi h Au ism: A Mic os uc u al App oach
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5556
di e si y sco es con i m C onin’s (2014) a gumen ha ASD lea ne s p ocess language na owly, epea ing amilia ocabula y
a he han ex ending meaning ac oss con ex s.
Despi e hese sha ed challenges, he pa icipan s also demons a ed no able s eng hs. Pa icipan 5 showed he abili y o
handle p ac ical asks and exp ess aspi a ions, while Pa icipan 6 e ealed musical alen ha engaged his a en ion and imp o ed
his e bal ou pu . Pa icipan 4, hough e y young, demons a ed ea ly esponsi eness o he apy, illus a ing B en ani, Bo dini,
and de Paula’s (2013) claim ha ea ly in e en ion is essen ial in imp o ing de elopmen al ou comes. The siblings’ cases u he
illus a ed Luce o’s (2017) inding ha en i onmen al ac o s and pa en ing s yle signi ican ly shape he g ow h o child en wi h
au ism.
Taken oge he , he esul s show ha ASD lea ne s in his sample p oduced limi ed spoken language cha ac e ized by low
p oduc i i y, sho and simple sen ence s uc u es, minimal clause densi y, and es ic ed lexical di e si y. A he same ime,
indi idual s eng hs eme ged, sugges ing he impo ance o pe sonalized in e en ions ha build on lea ne s’ unique abili ies
while add essing hei language de ici s.
The e is no single cou se ou line applicable o all lea ne s wi h au ism spec um diso de (ASD). Howe e , based on he esul s o
he mic os uc u al analysis o spoken language, a specialized cou se en i led Speech 101 is p oposed. This cou se is scheduled
h ice a week (8:00–10:30; 10:30–12:00; 1:00–2:30; and 2:30–5:00) and is designed o de elop he spoken language o ASD
lea ne s by ocusing on he undamen als o speech. Lea ne s a e g ouped acco ding o hei de elopmen al “age equi alen ,” as
concep ualized by Mille (1981), and ins uc ion is s uc u ed a ound he building blocks o language: phonology, mo phology,
syn ax, and discou se.
The objec i es o Speech 101 a e h ee old: (1) o help lea ne s demons a e basic speaking skills necessa y o communica ion
wi hin hei en i onmen , (2) o expand hei use o lexical i ems o cons uc meaning ul sen ences, and (3) o encou age
app op ia e social beha io s in speaking. The cou se is delibe a ely de elopmen al and p og essi e, ensu ing ha lea ne s
ad ance om sound ecogni ion o sen ence cons uc ion, while ein o cing social and communica i e compe ence.
Fo lea ne s a he 18–24-mon h equi alen , ins uc ion emphasizes phonology h ough ac i i ies designed o enhance sound
ecogni ion and a icula ion. This s age p io i izes mo o -speech coo dina ion and in oduces phonological pa e ns ha allow
lea ne s o combine sounds in o simple wo ds. Pa icipan s 1, 2, 4, and 7 all in o his de elopmen al ange.
A he 25–36-mon h le el, he ocus shi s o mo phology, speci ically he iden i ica ion and naming o amilia objec s and
animals. Ins uc ion in eg a es en i onmen al awa eness wi h ea ly spelling ac i i ies, he eby linking linguis ic de elopmen wi h
social engagemen . Pa icipan s 3, 6, and 7 a e si ua ed wi hin his de elopmen al b acke , hough a e iew phase is ecommended
be o e ull imme sion in o mo phological asks o p e en cogni i e o e load.
Fo lea ne s a he 37–48-mon h le el, he emphasis is on syn ax. Lessons p og ess om ecognizing nouns and p onouns
wi hin amily and en i onmen al con ex s o applying simple e bs in daily communica ion. The goal is o sca old basic sen ence
cons uc ion ha e lec s lea ne s’ immedia e needs and expe iences.
Finally, o lea ne s a 48 mon hs and abo e le el, he cou se ad ances o discou se. Ins uc ion cen e s on ecognizing and
exp essing emo ions app op ia ely, using bo h isual aids and si ua ional p omp s. Simple sen ence cons uc ion is encou aged
h ough in e ac i e ole-play and scena io-based asks, enabling lea ne s o connec language wi h li ed expe iences. Al hough no
cu en pa icipan s eached his de elopmen al ange, he p oposed design en isions lea ne s g adually p og essing owa d his
le el wi h sus ained moni o ing and suppo .
The p oposed ou line e lec s he p inciple ha language ins uc ion o ASD lea ne s mus be indi idualized, p og essi e, and
oo ed in bo h linguis ic heo y and social p ac ice. Ancho ing he design on Mille ’s (1981) de elopmen al amewo k ensu es
ha he cou se adap s o lea ne s’ communica i e eadiness while add essing hei di e se needs.
The Spoken Language o Lea ne s wi h Au ism: A Mic os uc u al App oach
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5557
De elopmen al Age
Equi alen (Mille ,
1981)
Focus A ea
Objec i es
Sample Ac i i ies
Expec ed Ou comes
18–24 mon hs
Phonology
• Recognize and
p oduce basic phone ic
sounds
• De elop
a icula ion and ea ly
phonological pa e ns
T acing phone ic symbols
while p oducing sounds;
mixing and ma ching
phonemes o o m simple
wo ds
Lea ne s can a icula e
dis inc sounds and
combine hem in o simple
wo ds (e.g., “ma,” “pa”)
25–36 mon hs
Mo phology
• Iden i y amilia
objec s and animals
• Spell and o m
wo ds om iden i ied
i ems
Using plush
oys/household objec s o
naming asks; a anging
le e blocks o spell wo ds
Lea ne s can name
objec s independen ly
and begin spelling simple
wo ds (e.g., “ca ,” “ball”)
37–48 mon hs
Syn ax
• Di e en ia e
nouns, p onouns, and
simple e bs
• Cons uc basic
commands and eques s
Family ee diag am o
nouns/p onouns;
lashca ds and ideos o
simple e bs and
ac ionbased commands
Lea ne s can c ea e sho
sen ences wi h co ec
subjec – e b use (e.g., “I
ea ,” “He uns”)
48 mon hs and abo e
Discou se
• Recognize and
exp ess emo ions
app op ia ely
• Cons uc simple
sen ences in meaning ul
con ex s
Ma ching emoji cu ou s
wi h scena ios; ole-play
and guessing games o
build sho sen ences
Lea ne s can exp ess
emo ions h ough wo ds
and o m sho
meaning ul dialogues in
con ex
V. CONCLUSIONS
This s udy examined he spoken language o se en lea ne s wi h au ism spec um diso de (ASD) in Nue a Ecija using he
Mic os uc u al app oach, ocusing on language p oduc i i y, g amma ical complexi y, and lexical di e si y. Language p oduc i i y,
de ined as he abili y o use language c ea i ely (No dquis , 2020; Yule, 2006), was measu ed h ough he o al numbe o wo ds
and di e en T-uni s u e ed by each pa icipan (C ys al, 2008).
Pa icipan 1 demons a ed p oduc i e language wi h sen ences o one o six wo ds, ollowing a consis en e b + objec pa e n.
Pa icipan 2 exhibi ed semi-p oduc i e language, cons ained by en i onmen al exposu e, p oducing one- o wo-wo d
sen ences. Pa icipan 3 p oduced only wo wo ds and occasional ille s, e lec ing semi-p oduc i e language limi ed by social
in e ac ion. Pa icipan 4 p oduced only sounds, indica i e o non-p oduc i e language. Pa icipan s 5 and 6, who ecei ed speech
and occupa ional he apies, demons a ed p oduc i e language, whe eas Pa icipan 7 emained non- e bal due o lack o
he apeu ic in e en ion (C ys al, 2008; T ask, 2000).
T-uni analysis showed Pa icipan 1 p oduced he mos di e se T-uni s (26), while Pa icipan s 4 and 7 had none, e lec ing
delayed language de elopmen . Mean leng h o T-uni s and clause densi y e ealed Pa icipan s 5 and 6 had age-equi alen
language skills o 2–3 yea s, while Pa icipan s 1, 2, and 3 we e equi alen o 18 mon hs–2.5 yea s (Mille , 1981; Ga in, 2022).
Lexical di e si y was highes in Pa icipan 1, wi h 91 di e en wo ds, whe eas Pa icipan s 4 and 7 p oduced none (Pa ish-Mo is,
2018; Mal e n, 2004). G amma ical e o s we e minimal among pa icipan s wi h limi ed u e ances bu we e mo e equen in
Pa icipan s 5 and 1, consis en wi h Hughes’ (2012) asse ion ha lea ne s wi h ASD o en ollow he linguis ic pa e ns o hei
en i onmen .
Based on hese indings, a p oposed cou se, Speech 101, was de eloped o enhance spoken language in ASD lea ne s. Ins uc ion
is s uc u ed acco ding o age-equi alen le els (Mille , 1981) and he building blocks o language: phonology, mo phology, syn ax,
and discou se. Lea ne s wi h an age equi alen o less han 18–24 mon hs, including Pa icipan s 1, 2, 4, and 7, ocus on phonology
by ecognizing and a icula ing phone ic le e s, acing hei ou lines, and p ac icing basic phonological pa e ns o s eng hen
bo h speech and mo o skills. Those wi h an age equi alen o 25–36 mon hs, including Pa icipan s 3, 6, and 7, ocus on
mo phology h ough iden i ica ion o objec s and animals, as well as spelling ac i i ies using le e blocks, ein o ced by play-based
scena ios. Lea ne s wi h an age equi alen o 37–48 mon hs engage in syn ax- ocused ac i i ies, such as di e en ia ing nouns and
The Spoken Language o Lea ne s wi h Au ism: A Mic os uc u al App oach
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5558
p onouns using amily ee diag ams, and p ac icing simple e bs h ough ac ion-based games. Finally, discou se-o ien ed lessons
a e designed o lea ne s wi h an age equi alen o 48 mon hs and abo e, ocusing on ecognizing emo ions and cons uc ing
simple sen ences h ough ole-play and scena io-based ac i i ies. Sessions a e planned h ice weekly o moni o p og ess and
ensu e g adual skill acquisi ion. While no pa icipan s cu en ly mee he highes le el, indi idualized guidance may enable
ad ancemen o discou se- ocused ac i i ies.
The p oposed Speech 101 cou se p o ides a s uc u ed, e idence-based amewo k o suppo spoken language de elopmen
in lea ne s wi h ASD. Ancho ing ins uc ion on age-equi alen miles ones and mic os uc u al language analysis allows o
indi idualized, de elopmen ally app op ia e lea ning while add essing di e se communica i e abili ies. P ac ical implica ions
emphasize he impo ance o collabo a ion among eache s, he apis s, and ca egi e s, as well as adap i e ac i i ies ailo ed o
lea ne esponsi eness. Resea ch implica ions highligh he alue o inc emen al, mul imodal, and en i onmen -suppo ed
in e en ions o enhance unc ional communica ion in ASD lea ne s (Ueda-Tao, 2011; Sonnen, 2007; Thane, 2016; Ande son,
2008).
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This s udy is en i ely indeb ed o he ollowing people who p o ided hei suppo and u mos gene osi y o he esea che ; To
he singing li le Noddy, Hanchi, A e lo es you e y much. This is o you.
To Alecx Lapuz, Eng . John Vincen L. San os, MP, MEnM, Si Gian Angelo G. A ane a, and Ma’am Diana Ma ie R. Rillon, LPT, Doc
Ed, Doc Tin, Glenn, and Nikko, Da yl and Aqil, o pu ing up wi h he esea che o mo e han en yea s and o emba king his
jou ney wi h he h ough hick and hicke ;
To M . Renzel Jay M. Cab e a, he esea che ’s ancho , whose bold encou agemen , endless pa ience, and unwa e ing belie in
he esea che made his esea ch jou ney no only possible bu meaning ul;
To T ibo O ine o; Ti o Jun, Ti a Leni, Lola, Anak, Ina, A e, Papa+, and Nanay +, o being playma es, siblings, and a he igu es
o he g owing up; and,
To D . Be nade e O ine o-Galla do, no only o se ing as a ole model bu also o p o ing ha in main aining a amily, a man
is only wan ed; no needed; and,
Mos o all, o God Almigh y; o being he E e y hing.
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The e is an Open Access a icle, dis ibu ed unde he e m o he C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion – Non Comme cial 4.0 In e na ional (CC BY-NC 4.0)
(h ps://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which pe mi s emixing, adap ing and
building upon he wo k o non-comme cial use, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed.
