To some degree it is true. It depends on the severity of a child’s autism. Some children whose autism enables them to function well in society are able to show affection and understand other’s feelings but some children are really lacking.

A number of abnormal speech patterns in autism have been identified, including echolalia, pronoun reversal, metaphorical language, poor grammatical structure, atonality and arrhythmia.

The speech of many children with autism appears abnormal and is often described as machine-like, “monotonic,” or “sing-song.” They may also use irregular intonation, pitch, pace, rhythm and articulation.

Yes. Some of the major characteristics of autism are abnormal speech patterns. Children with autism are often non-verbal when initially diagnosed. Any present speech is usually highly deviant and of limited communicative function.