Vocabulary composition in children with autism spectrum disorder

Authors

  • Mihaela Barokova New Bulgarian University
  • Elena Andonova New Bulgarian University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.25.2.8

Keywords:

Bulgarian, noun bias, typical development, ASD, vocabulary composition, word categories

Abstract

In this paper we compare the distribution of four word categories in the lexical development of Bulgarian children with autism spectrum disorder to a normative Bulgarian sample. There is an emphasis on nominal/noun bias, which has been assumed to be a universal characteristic of language development. The data of Bulgarian children with autism presents a pattern similar to that of the normative sample including a high percent of social words in their expressive vocabulary.

Author Biographies

Mihaela Barokova, New Bulgarian University

Chief assistant professor Mihaela Barokova is a developmental psychologist. She has a Ph.D. in Psychology from Boston University, Massachusetts, USA. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Cognitive Science and Psychology at New Bulgarian University in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Elena Andonova, New Bulgarian University

Prof. Elena Andonova is a developmental psycholinguist at the Research Center for Cognitive Science at New Bulgarian University in Sofia, Bulgaria. She has a Ph.D. from Cardiff University and is a Professor of Psychology at New Bulgarian University.

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Published

2025-12-20

How to Cite

Barokova, M., & Andonova, E. (2025). Vocabulary composition in children with autism spectrum disorder. English Studies at NBU, 11(2), 333–347. https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.25.2.8

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