Previous studies have found a dissociation between two forms of pointing gesture in autism: protoimperative pointing is present, while protodeclarative pointing is absent or impoverished. The latter appears to be part of a joint-attention deficit. In the present study, we searched for a third form, referential pointing, in autism. We predicted that since referential pointing can occur for non-social reasons, and without joint-attention, it might be intact in autism. This prediction was borne out. This new dissociation, intact referential pointing with impaired protodeclarative pointing, suggests that our assessment of this important gesture is becoming more refined, and may hold potential for early diagnosis.
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