Cohesive discourse in pervasive developmental disorders.

The team compared how people with autism talk during free conversation.

They looked at higher-functioning autistic speakers, Asperger speakers, and typical speakers.

Each person chatted with an adult. Later the team counted how often each speaker linked back to the partner’s last turn.

Autistic speakers used fewer links that tied back to the partner’s words.

They talked more about objects or events in the room instead.

Asperger speakers only slipped when they used unclear “he,” “it,” or “that.”

Hobson et al. (2012) saw the same gap and called it weak “cognitive linkage.”

Losh et al. (2003) and McCabe et al. (2013) later found the same weakness inside personal stories, showing the trouble lasts from childhood to adulthood.

Mulder et al. (2020) seems to disagree: autistic kids told witness stories that were just as coherent as typical peers. The task, however, was highly structured. Free chat exposes the gap; tight questions hide it.

When a client seems “off topic,” check if he is describing the room instead of building on your last line. Teach him to echo key words you just said before adding new info. Start with scripted play or interview games, then fade the script. This one move can raise reciprocity without heavy language drills.