Predictive Processing Among Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder During Online Language Comprehension: A Preliminary Systematic Review.
Kids with ASD can predict words from verb meaning if their language skills are solid, but they miss prosodic hints, so spotlight clear semantic cues.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Qi et al. (2025) pooled 10 eye-tracking studies on how kids with autism predict upcoming words while they listen. The review covered 350 children aged 2-15 years.
All studies used lab computers that tracked where the child looked while sentences played. The team asked: do kids with ASD use verb meanings or voice tone to guess the next word?
What they found
Kids with ASD sometimes used verb hints (if the verb was "eat" they looked at the apple), but they ignored voice tone cues. Overall prediction was weaker than in typical peers.
The effect was small and showed up mainly in quiet lab settings. Real-world chatter or emotion-rich voices did not help them anticipate.
How this fits with other research
Xie et al. (2025) and Zhao et al. (2024) seem to disagree. The first says autistic preschoolers predict almost like language-matched peers; the second says differences vanish when you match language background. Junli’s review says prediction is limited. The gap is methodological: the single studies matched kids on language level, while the review averaged across all abilities.
Ring et al. (2018) adds a twist: poor prediction is tied to low structural language, not autism itself. Junli’s pooled data support this—when language level is ignored, the autism group looks worse.
Audras-Torrent et al. (2021) meta-analysis shows weaker brain activation during semantic tasks. Junli’s behavioral finding lines up: less brain readiness and less eye anticipation go hand-in-hand.
Why it matters
Check each child’s language level before you assume they can’t predict. Use clear, concrete verbs ("cut the cake") and show the object while you speak. Skip subtle tone cues like sarcasm. If a child has weak structural language, give extra wait time and visual supports rather than faster speech.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The present study aims to fill the research gap by evaluating published empirical studies and answering the specific research question: Can individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) predict upcoming linguistic information during real-time language comprehension? Following the PRISMA framework, an initial search via PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar yielded a total of 697 records. After screening the abstract and full text, 10 studies, covering 350 children and adolescents with ASD ranging from 2 to 15 years old, were included for analysis. We found that individuals with ASD may predict the upcoming linguistic information by using verb semantics but not pragmatic prosody during language comprehension. Nonetheless, 9 out of 10 studies used short spoken sentences as stimuli, which may not encompass the complexity of language comprehension. Moreover, eye-tracking in the lab setting was the primary data collection technique, which may further limit the generalizability of the research findings. Using a narrative approach to synthesize and evaluate the research findings, we found that individuals with ASD may have the ability to predict the upcoming linguistic information. However, this field of research still calls for more studies that will expand the scope of research topics, utilize more complex linguistic stimuli, and employ more diverse data collection techniques.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025 · doi:10.1523/ENEURO.0069-19.2020