Children on the borderlands of autism: differential characteristics in social, imaginative, communicative and repetitive behaviour domains.

A sample of 37 children aged 4-7 years who all showed some autistic features was investigated. Children with a primary diagnosis of autism were compared with those diagnosed with a language disorder, on behaviours within four domains; social behaviour, imaginative activities, repetitive behaviour and communication. The aim was to identify potentially differentiating features of the two groups using observational ratings and questionnaire measures provided by parents and teachers.