Psychologists have found that people with autism possess the ability for “inner speech,” which is the process of talking things through in their heads–though they do not use it in the same way as typically developing people.

In a study conducted by researchers in the UK, the tendency to “think in words” was found to be strongly connected to a person's communication skills. Because these skills are rooted in early childhood, the researchers suggest that teaching children with autism to think in words may help them better execute daily tasks later in life.

Most people use inner speech to problem solve, particularly with trickier tasks. Typically developing children tend to guide themselves through complicated situations by talking out loud, but after about age seven they use inner speech to work through problems. Children with autism often miss out on early communicative exchanges, which may explain why they often do not use inner speech when they are older.

David Williams of Durham University's department of psychology led the study, which is scheduled to be published in an upcoming issue of the Development and Psychopathology Journal. “Children with autism probably aren’t doing this thinking in their heads, but are continuing on with a visual thinking strategy,” he tells Reuters. “So this is the time, at around six or seven years old, that these teaching methods would be most helpful.” Lack of inner speech may also contribute to some of the more repetitive behaviors common in people with autism.

Practicing talking things through in their heads could help children with autism to perform difficult day-to-day tasks, which could increase the chances of them living independently when they are adults. Children with autism may also perform better in school if they learn their times tables verbally rather than visually, according to this study.

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