Real world evidence for altered communication patterns in individuals with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may compensate for their social difficulties by resorting to more sequential forms of communication. Here, we study communication preferences in individuals with ASD and neurotypical controls by monitoring smartphone-based communication for verbal, written, and mixed app categories over a period of four months. We find ASD participants to prefer written over verbal communication, underscoring the importance of considering these preferences to facilitate social integration.