Communicative functioning in individuals with Angelman syndrome: a comparative study

Purpose: To assess expressive communication in individuals with Angelman syndrome. Method: Communicative functioning of individuals with Angelman syndrome (AS) (n=109) was compared with individuals with mixed etiologies (n=117) using the Verbal Behaviour Assessment Scale (VerBAS). Results: Within-group analyses of those with AS revealed that the communicative function of manding was significantly more developed than tacting and echoing, and that tacting was significantly more developed than echoing. Low mean total VerBAS-scores were found with individuals who had epilepsy and used anticonvulsant medication, and with those who had profound developmental disabilities. In the comparison group, the function of manding was significantly more developed than both tacting and echoing, while tacting did not differ from echoing. Between-groups analyses revealed that individuals with AS had significantly lower scores on tacting and echoing, but not on manding. Conclusion: The overall pattern of VerBAS scores for individuals with AS suggests a possible communicative phenotype.