What does "on the spectrum" mean?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

The phrase "on a spectrum" as used here is used to classify something, or suggest that it can be classified, in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme or opposite points. Ex: You don't want to be too far left or too far right of the political spectrum. Ex: The students in my class are often at different ends of the language spectrum. “On the spectrum” is usually used when referring to the specific set of behavioral and developmental problems and the challenges associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. ASD means that a person's communication, social, and play skills are affected in some way. Be careful as "on the spectrum" and "on a spectrum" have completely different meanings.

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Popular Q&As

12/12

1
What is "light-years"?
A "light-year" is a unit of measurement used in space that is equivalent to how far light travels in one year, which is extremely far. Therefore, this unit of measurement is used when referring to huge distances in space. One light year is approximately 9.5 trillion kilometers.

2
What is the meaning of "dangle"?
The normal meaning of "dangle" is to hang something so that it is held up loosely. Ex: The clothes are dangling on the clothesline to dry. However, to "dangle" in this case means to tempt someone with something by keeping it out of their reach to where they can see it but cannot get to it. In the context of this video, "dangle" is used here with the meaning of making someone jealous. Ex: He teased the dog by dangling the treat above his head.

3
What is the difference between “a while” and “awhile”?
"A while" is a noun that refers to a period of time. It could be replaced by a more specific period of time, like "a year". "Awhile" is an adverb that describes doing something for a period of time. Ex: I haven't seen you in a while! Ex: Why don't you go play outside for awhile?

4
I'm always confused which one to say between "me too" and "you too" as a reply in this kind of situation. Would it be wrong if I say "me too" here like I also want you to have a happy Valentine's Day kind of a thing.
Good question! We use "you too" when we want to return the well wishes or greetings of someone. In this video, somebody says "Happy Valentine's Day" to SpongeBob, so he returns these greetings by saying, "you too." Ex: A: Have a great day! B: You too. Ex: A: You look great today! B: You too! We use "me too" when we want to express agreement or participation with a previous statement. Ex: A: I wish I was on vacation right now. B: Me too. Ex: A: I'm going to get a beer with my lunch. B: Me too.

5
Is the 's' in "ask children's to explain love" a misspelling by the speaker? I think "ask children to explain love" is the correct phrase.
Yes, it is a mistake on the part of the speaker. I think he wanted to say either "children" or "kids" but ended up saying "childrens" instead. It is incorrect, and the correct sentence is "ask children/kids to explain love." Ex: I want to ask kids for their thoughts about the President. = I want to ask children for their thoughts about the President.

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