Implications of Linguistic Convergence and Divergence Among Matched and Mixed Autistic and Non-Autistic Communication Partners.

Abstract

Purpose: Linguistic entrainment (i.e., increasing linguistic similarity over time) and its positive social effects are well documented among non-autistic communicators. This study sought to, first, investigate the extent of syntactic and semantic entrainment between communication partners with matched or mixed autism status (i.e., autistic and non-autistic) and, second, explore how entrainment influences rapport development for autistic and non-autistic communicators.

Method: Thirty-three autistic adults and 37 non-autistic adults were paired in either a matched or mixed condition. Pair interactions, involving two structured communication tasks (Twenty Questions and tangram identification) via videoconference, were transcribed and analyzed for syntactic and semantic entrainment. Participants also completed a survey about the rapport they experienced in the interaction.

Results: Matched autistic pairs exhibited greater overall syntactic convergence across the full interaction than matched non-autistic pairs, although no significant group differences emerged at the task level. For both autistic and non-autistic participants, greater syntactic convergence was associated with stronger rapport development. For semantic convergence, the results differed: Mixed pairs significantly diverged from each other. In contrast, matched pairs showed no significant change in semantic alignment-neither converging nor diverging.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that autistic communicators engage in effective linguistic entrainment through a cumulative alignment process that unfolds over the full interaction rather than within isolated tasks. This study challenges common assumptions about autistic communication based on mixed interactions and highlights the importance of considering matched-autistic communication contexts. It also supports the double empathy theory, which emphasizes mutual understanding between neurotypes, and suggests that autistic communicators possess unique strengths in interpersonal communication.