RESUMEN

Evaluations of all Arabic speaking children age 3-9.0 years with significant speech delays or impairments, referred to a community based, child development center in the public health care system during a 5-year period were reviewed. Use of an inordinate degree of words and expressions in Fossha version of classical Arabic, mainly used in the media, children's literature and formalized venues, as well as in English, was highly associated with ASD, especially among those who were both more intelligent (IQ> 70), as well as older (greater than 4 years), (Pearson 7.29, Fisher 2-tailed test, p = 0.015). The use of "out of context" speech embedded in ordinary Arabic vernacular was associated with a higher degree of speech stereotypy (p < 0.001) among children with ASD, and unrelated statistically to the number of hours of screen viewing time, jargoning or associative speech. Idiosyncratic speech choices reflect neuro-linguistic mechanisms in social communication- impaired youngsters.