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Autism spectrum disorder is a very common developmental disorder nowadays. CPLOL celebrated speech and language therapy day on the 6th of March and dedicated this day to Communication in Autism. Based on this, we prepared a workshop within our association (ASTTLR) under this theme where ASD was approached based on the language myths and on the language evidences. The fallowing myths and evidences were discussed based on significant studies in the field: echolalia, language idiosyncrasy, personal pronoun usage, gestures, the gap between receptive and expressive language. Conclusions underlined that language development can be an important indicator in ASD, but it must be carefully approached as not all specific language development features can be by themselves diagnostic criteria.

Over time, continuous efforts have been made to clarify and circumscribe diagnoses of autism, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The diagnostic split between the 3 disorders dominated psychiatry after the 80s, being still used and recognized as such by the diagnostic manuals. Recently a shift and flexibility of the psychiatric paradigm has been noticed. The categorical perspective on mental illness is gradually complemented by the dimensional one. In the last decade, research in the field of neuroscience and psychology has brought evidence in favor of a partial overlap between ADHD, autism and schizophrenia. The hypothesis of a partial overlap can also be supported by non-medical or psychological theorizations, related to common deficits of symbolic structuring of the psyche in achieving a coherent representation of the world and of one’s own person.