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Singsong

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Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders
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Definition

Odd patterns of vocal intonation can be referred to as “singsong,” a term which generally describes a speech style with a wide pitch range with large rises and falls. It should be noted that this term is somewhat imprecise as it is also occasionally used to describe a very different style of speech with a particularly narrow pitch range, as in a poetry reading, or speech produced to the tune of a preferred song. In all cases, this term is used to indicate that speech has a quality that is different from the typical melodic patterns of conversation. Some individuals with ASD have been noted to have a “singsong” style of speaking, with exaggerated or theatrical-sounding prosodic patterns.

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References and Reading

  • Diehl, J. J., & Berkovits, L. (2010). Is prosody a diagnostic and cognitive bellwether of autism spectrum disorders? In A. Harrison (Ed.), Speech disorders: Causes, treatments, and social effects (pp. 159–176). New York: Nova Science.

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  • McCann, J., & Peppé, S. (2003). Prosody in autism spectrum disorders: A critical review. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 38(4), 325–350.

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  • Peppé, S. (2009). Why is prosody in speech-language pathology so difficult? International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 11(4), 258–271.

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  • Shriberg, L. D., Paul, R., McSweeny, J. L., Klin, A., Cohen, D. J., & Volkmar, F. R. (2001). Speech and prosody characteristics of adolescents and adults with high-functioning Autism and Asperger syndrome. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 44(5), 1097–1115.

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Correspondence to Lisa Edelson-Fries .

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Edelson-Fries, L. (2021). Singsong. In: Volkmar, F.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91280-6_1818

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