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Some autistic kids are overwhelmed by too much auditory stimulation.  But their preference for sign language is more connected to their expressive difficulties with verbal language.  Many autistic people can and do communicate very effectively and eloquently using a computerized communication board, as well.  But if you ask them to do the same thing expressively with verbal language, they simply can't.  That is where the communication frustrations of autism are closely related to a deaf child that has language delays.  They quite often understand much more than they can express through oral language.