Language

Unfortunately, we cannot diagnose things within our Community Forum.  The best we can do is share experience, knowledge and suggest signposting to reputable information sources if known.  Sometimes this is sufficient to help people open the appropriate conversations with their healthcare professionals.

I wondered, as you mentioned your Son has ASC and language delay; whether you might have access to a Speech and Language Therapist via the diagnosis team / school or GP Practice - to discuss your question with that type of professional.

Although unable to directly answer your question, I share the below thoughts.

There is a section in one of the regularly used Autism assessment criteria frameworks which highlights observing use of "idiosyncratic speech" (when someone uses normal words or phrases in a non-typical way).

Some people may exhibit "aphasia" where people seem to get their words mixed up.  Others might have more wide ranging communication difficulties.

Some children, irrespective of whether Autistic, struggle with a particular word or phrase when they first encounter it, settle on an approximation with which they are comfortable - and it becomes their colloquial choice of word or phrase.  One of my (non-Autistic) relatives struggled as a toddler / primary school child to learn and pronounce the names for all the different types of edible berries - in frustration, they declared they were all "beebles" (no relative knew where they got that from) - and still tends to use the term with near relatives (not consciously) - even though as an adult they do know all the correct names for each berry variety.

Some children / families have a made up name (or local regional or uncommonly used term) for an object and the name sticks - indeed, the child may not even realise it is not the word everyone else uses for the same object.  I am Autistic and I hold my hand up that; it was not until I encountered a really puzzled A Level Biology Teacher - that it dawned on me that my family's (unknown to me) internal name for "woodlouse / woodlice" did not translate to any understanding of what I was talking about with people outside our family!

A younger generation Autistic relative precociously latched on to the world "crocodile" - as among the earliest words spoken - not because they knew the associated object / toy / animal - rather, they seemed to like the sound of the word (said by them to themselves and also met by great hilarity following another relative saying it to them).  For a while during their early development "crocodile" became their generic word of choice when actually making reference to any number of enjoyed objects and activities - at that time it seemed more the shorthand communication of a happy emotion associated with their enjoyment of the sound of that word.  That stage passed.  The relative became an Accountant in adulthood (it is sometimes difficult to assess early speech / language development and project it forwards to outcomes).

There may be children whose hearing has influenced what they thought an adult said when learning language.  Certainly, I know that the non-Autistic relative who got frustrated and generated the all encompassing "beebles" resolution used to need regular GP assistance for repeated ear infections as a young child.

I hope you are able to find access to someone better equipped to answer your question.

Thank you, that’s interesting 

Thank you, that’s interesting