How autistic traits influence pronominal resolution in Italian children

The present project investigates how Italian-speaking monolingual and bilingual children resolve subject pronouns and how autistic traits (ATs) can affect their interpretation. Monolingual children up to the age of 6–7 display problems with interpreting null and overt pronouns, while, after this age, they process these pronouns more adult-like. Pronoun processing difficulties have also been extensively documented in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These children tend to use overt pronouns or full Determiner Phrases in contexts where typically developing children would use null subjects. These differences are explained in terms of reduced pragmatic awareness. More recent research has shifted focus to autistic traits (ATs) in the neurotypical population.