Abstract:
Research by Kuhl, Coffey-Corina, Padden, and Dawson, 2005, demonstrated that
typically developing infants prefer "motherese" speech to a non-speech analog. In contrast,
children with autism spectrum disorder show the reverse preference, and the degree to which this
is true predicts their developmental progress in processing properties of speech streams. I am
investigating possible parallels to these findings in children's processing of human action;
specifically, whether developmental skills in preschool-aged children predict the degree to which
they prefer "motionese" versus a non-action analog (or the reverse), and whether the strength of
their preference predicts the sophistication of their processing of intentional action. Preliminary
results based on participation from forty 2- to 3-year-olds indicate a significant correlation
between executive function skills and degree of preference for motionese versus the non-action
analog. Should these findings be borne out in the full sample, they point to important links
between the development of language and intentional action processing, and they may have
implications for designing interventions for children developing atypically.