We sought to examine concurrent and longitudinal associations between sensory response patterns (i.e., hyperresponsiveness, hyporesponsiveness, and sensory seeking) and verbal status of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a potential factor influencing the development of verbal communication. Seventy-nine children with ASD (verbal, ; nonverbal, ) were assessed using cross-sectional analyses (Study 1), and 14 children with ASD (verbal, ; nonverbal, ) were assessed using prospective longitudinal analyses (Study 2). Data were collected regarding sensory response patterns and verbal ability. Hyporesponsiveness and sensory seeking behaviors were associated with verbal status in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses; nonverbal children were more likely to demonstrate higher hyporesponsive and sensory seeking patterns. Hyperresponsiveness did not significantly differ between verbal and nonverbal groups in either design. Sensory hyporesponsiveness and seeking behaviors may be important factors hindering the development of functional verbal communication in children with ASD. Unusual sensory responsiveness can often be observed before the onset of speech and may yield important prognostic capabilities as well as inform early interventions targeting verbal communication or alternative communication options in young children with ASD. 1. Introduction Approximately 25–50% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not develop functional verbal communication [1–3], and functional verbal communication rarely develops after age of five in children with ASD [4]. These nonverbal children have significantly poorer outcomes compared to children with ASD who do develop functional verbal communication; development of speech prior to this age predicts educational achievement, employment, the ability to live independently, and social relationships [5, 6]. Variability exists regarding terminology defining expressive communication in children with ASD, particularly regarding the term “functional verbal communication” [7]. For purposes of this paper, we conceptualize functional verbal communication based on discussions by Baghdadli et al. [1] and Tager-Flusberg et al. [7] as spoken language that is spontaneous and meaningful and includes multiword utterances. Although nonverbal children with ASD comprise a substantial portion of the population and outcomes are poor for them, limited research elucidating potential explanatory factors for the failure of some children with ASD to acquire meaningful expressive language or examining treatments that
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