High functioning autism and prosody of sentence types in Greek: a case study

Abstract

The study focuses on the prosodic characteristics of sentence types in Greek, based on data by an adult with high functioning autism (HFA). It investigates the effects of the disorder on tonal and temporal features of 2 basic sentence types. A production experiment was carried out, based on SVO sentences produced as statements and polar questions, with no other difference than their prosodic realisation. The HFA findings were compared to relevant findings for normal speech and showed: (a) very similar tonal patterns, (b) more expanded tonal, and (c) longer utterances.