This study investigates language abilities in 89 children with autism, using standardized tests to assess phonological, lexical, and higher-order language skills. The results show significant heterogeneity in language abilities among children with autism, with some having normal language skills and others significantly below age expectations. The language profile of children with language impairment in autism is similar to that of specific language impairment (SLI), suggesting a possible genetic overlap between the two conditions. Despite the importance of language impairment in autism diagnosis, research has focused on universal communication deficits rather than language variability. The study highlights that articulation skills are generally spared in autism, while vocabulary, grammar, and semantic knowledge are often impaired. Language abilities in autism vary widely, with some children having normal language skills and others being non-verbal. The study also found that children with autism who have language impairments show patterns similar to those with SLI, including difficulties with non-word repetition and grammatical knowledge. The findings suggest that language impairment in autism may not be unique to the disorder and could overlap with SLI. The study also discusses the limitations of standardized tests in assessing language abilities in children with autism, including difficulties in understanding test demands and comparing performance across different tests. The study concludes that language impairment in autism may share genetic and phenotypic characteristics with SLI, and further research is needed to explore this overlap.This study investigates language abilities in 89 children with autism, using standardized tests to assess phonological, lexical, and higher-order language skills. The results show significant heterogeneity in language abilities among children with autism, with some having normal language skills and others significantly below age expectations. The language profile of children with language impairment in autism is similar to that of specific language impairment (SLI), suggesting a possible genetic overlap between the two conditions. Despite the importance of language impairment in autism diagnosis, research has focused on universal communication deficits rather than language variability. The study highlights that articulation skills are generally spared in autism, while vocabulary, grammar, and semantic knowledge are often impaired. Language abilities in autism vary widely, with some children having normal language skills and others being non-verbal. The study also found that children with autism who have language impairments show patterns similar to those with SLI, including difficulties with non-word repetition and grammatical knowledge. The findings suggest that language impairment in autism may not be unique to the disorder and could overlap with SLI. The study also discusses the limitations of standardized tests in assessing language abilities in children with autism, including difficulties in understanding test demands and comparing performance across different tests. The study concludes that language impairment in autism may share genetic and phenotypic characteristics with SLI, and further research is needed to explore this overlap.