Struggling with alternative descriptions: Impaired referential processing in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

•Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show a tendency to reuse referential descriptions previously used by their conversational partner.•We found that children with ASD have difficulties in switching to alternative labels to refer to the items for which they have already established precedents.•We found no partner specific processing for broken precedents in children with and without ASD.•Our findings suggest that children with ASD may occasionally exhibit difficulties in processing referential communication due to executive dysfunction.