A Theory of Autistic Language

Introduction:

It is considered scientifically sound to state that Autists have a different communication style than neurotypicals. The autistic accent is hard to mask and most people who have heard it can determine that someone is autistic based on that alone. Indeed, Artificial Intelligence has found a correlation between autism and speech pattern in a diverse range of languages. But the Autistic accent is more than an accent, it is a dialect. And, even more importantly, it is a distinct and markedly different way of thinking. Therefore, it makes sense that Autistic people have such a hard time communicating. The solution is simple, a language suitable for our neurotype must be created. On that front, I submit the idea of Autistic Polyrhythmic Language (APL). 

The Basics of APL: 

Autistic Polyrhythmic Language must first be broken down into its three elements. Autistic: that means the language must be designed to aid autistic shortcomings and help us excel in our strengths. What shortcomings do autistic people have when communicating? There are two primary shortcomings: stuttering and tone transference. That is where the second element comes in; the element of polyrhythm. Polyrhythm can aid in stuttering by adding a predictable rhythm and harmony to our language, therefore musicalizing it. Science shows that people tend not to stutter when singing as compared to speaking. The second shortcoming is solved through the addition of a regular tone indicator. To make a language polyrhythmic, you would drop certain morphemes such as the ones indicating tense, number, and/or possession. Instead these would be replaced with morphemes at regular intervals. For example, one could could have a polyrhythm of 3:5:10; where the 3 is how many words before you indicate number, 5 is how many words before you indicate tense, and 10 is how many words before you indicate tone.

Example: The car on (them) the road (past tense) nearly (us) drive me into (me) a (past tense)(serious) ditch

That example is confusing at first, due its radical departure from traditional language, but is it intelligible? Let's break it down: I'm serious, their car, in the past, nearly drove (indicating both) me into a ditch. This polyrhythmic sentence contains one major ambiguity. However, it is not a fatal one. Had the sentence been phrased better, the ambiguity could have been avoided. The ambiguity can still be remedied by the following sentence, as would any ambiguity in typical language. Furthermore, the polyrhythmic language aids the autistic cognitive abilities. Due to our improved memorization and logic abilities, mathematicising language will give us additional tools to communicate, as well as a stronger linguistic processor. 

Finally, we arrive at the third element: language. The fact is, APL, as I have envisioned, it is not a full language. It is more akin to a data module. It's primary purpose is to make language more accessible and give greater power to autistic people. To continue with the computer analogy, it would not be considered Turing complete. That is not to say that an entirely APL language is impossible, it is likely fully within the realm of reason, however that is not the goal of APL. This is a language modifier, not a language, and that is entirely for the benefit of the speaker. For one, by being a language modifier, that means less rules to remember. It means less time studying and should be able to be mastered in a short amount of time. Second, this means that APL is mutually intelligible with the language it is modifying. Someone who does not know the APL should be able to reasonably get the meaning as long as they know the base language. This is because nouns are the same, verbs are the same, and word order is lightly modified. Yes, tense and plurality are modified, but that should not be a major barrier. 

An Example APL:

An example APL  is that of KuKu English. What is KuKu English? It is a simple APL that does not include tone indicators. Suffixes are removed and replaced with a 3:5 polyrhythm. Plurality is indicated every three words with Ku being single and KuKu being plural. Tense is noted every five words with Ka being a past event, Choo being a present event, and KaChoo being a future event. Obviously, KuKu English is inspired by the classic rhyme, but that does not mean it isn't useful. 

The Utility of APL:

1. More accessible to those with certain communication difficulties such as stuttering. 

2. More harmonious, APL languages naturally create a rhythm during speech. This gives them a pleasing affect to the ear. 

3. Linguistic efficiency. By removing unneeded suffixes, language becomes denser. KuKu English has a declension average of 1/4, the prior sentence had a declension average of 5/7. 

Problems with APL:

1. Lack of scientific study to see how speaking APL affects communication ability

2. Alienation; it is likely that stigmas might arise against speaking APL and thus lead to discrimination

3. Ambiguity; APL does lead to situations where ambiguity regarding declension can occur. 

Conclusion:

Autistic Polyrhythmic Language has the potential to greatly improve the communication abilities of the disabled. Furthermore, it may be an improvement over non-polyrhythmic language in general. APL, due to its low learning requirements, can also be quickly implemented once further research has been done. Due to the empowerment, aesthetic, and educational benefits, further research should be done on the feasibility of APL.