# Exemplar Variability in Cross-Situational Word Learning Among Young Autistic Children

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2022 · $46,752

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Word-learning difficulties are common among young autistic children. If unaddressed, these early
challenges can negatively affect children’s communicative and academic success. To determine appropriate
strategies for early intervention, it is essential to first understand the mechanisms underlying word learning in
this highly heterogenous population. Based on previous work, one mechanism available to older autistic children
is cross-situational learning (CSL). However, the higher prevalence of word-learning difficulties in ASD suggests
the possibility of remaining unknown factors limiting children’s ability to make efficient use of CSL in real-world
language environments. One possibility is that autistic children demonstrate delays in early development of CSL
with cascading consequences for word learning. Previous findings indicate that older autistic children can use
CSL to learn words, but this mechanism has not yet been examined in preschool-age autistic children. Employing
a Looking-While-Listening eye-tracking paradigm, Specific Aim 1 (Study 1) of the proposed project will
investigate CSL in a younger group of children (2- to 4-years old). A second possibility is that prior CSL studies
have not reflected the challenges of children’s natural language environments. Previous studies required children
to associate only one exemplar image with each label, whereas in real-world learning situations children
encounter many different objects that are all given the same label. To support word learning in these contexts,
neurotypical (NT) children tend to categorize objects based on shape (known as the shape bias). Preschool- and
school-age autistic children do not share this tendency with NT peers. Without a shape bias, we might expect
autistic children to experience word learning difficulties when multiple exemplars are presented matching the
same label and shape but varying across other perceptual features (i.e., color). Specific Aim 2 (Study 2) will
examine the impact of exemplar variability on novel words in the context of CSL and ostensive training tasks in
young autistic children and language-matched NT peers. Finally, Specific Aim 3 (Study 3) will examine child
characteristics associated with CSL task performance in ASD. By examining autistic preschool children’s ability
to learn words via CSL at a younger age and across variable exemplars, the proposed project will elucidate
potential points of vulnerability in word learning for this population. Study findings will advance the NIDCD
strategic plan by increasing our understanding of language mechanisms in ASD and how they function differently
across individual children and environmental contexts, with clinical implications including therapy stimuli
selection and establishing CSL principles as a foundation for future interventions. Training Plan. The applicant’s
training will focus on acquiring new methodological and conceptual knowledge in language-learning processes,
...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10605642
- **Project number:** 1F31DC020901-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Kathryn Elaine Prescott
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $46,752
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10605642

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10605642, Exemplar Variability in Cross-Situational Word Learning Among Young Autistic Children (1F31DC020901-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10605642. Licensed CC0.

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