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Bottema-Beutel K, Sasson NJ, McKinnon R, Braun C, Guo R, Hand BN, Kapp SK, Espinas DR, Bailin A, Lester JN, Yu B. Recognizing and Resisting Ableist Language in Schools: Suggestions for School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists and Related Professionals. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2024; 55:1025-1038. [PMID: 39374476 DOI: 10.1044/2024_lshss-24-00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/09/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The language that school professionals use to describe disabled students can reveal and perpetuate ableist assumptions. Professionals' language choices can also challenge ableist attitudes to help create more inclusive, equitable learning environments. This tutorial seeks to guide speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and other school professionals to identify ableist language, understand the ableist ideologies that such language reveals, and develop strategies to implement ways of communicating with and about disabled students that align with an anti-ableist stance. We offer a brief description of ableism in schools, describe models of disability and their varying alignments toward ableist ideologies, and identify ways in which language can reflect and perpetuate ableism. Using Individualized Education Program goals as an example, we examine the ways in which ableist language can manifest in school practices. Finally, we provide suggestions to guide SLPs and other school professionals to examine and change their language to better align with an anti-ableist stance. CONCLUSIONS School professionals' language use is not neutral and may reveal and maintain ableist assumptions about disability and disabled students. While dismantling ableism requires systemic change, we suggest that individual professionals can use language in ways that resist ableism and powerfully impact their students' educational experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Noah J Sasson
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson
| | - Rachael McKinnon
- Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, MA
| | - Caroline Braun
- Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, MA
| | - Ruoxi Guo
- Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, MA
| | - Brittany N Hand
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Steven K Kapp
- School of Psychology, Health and Sport Sciences, University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Betty Yu
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, San Francisco State University, CA
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2
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Ferreira JM, Bottema-Beutel K. The Interactional Structure of Accounts During Small Group Discussions Among Autistic Children Receiving Special Education Support in Finland. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:1928-1946. [PMID: 36749456 PMCID: PMC11136803 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-05916-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Through a conversation analytic approach, we investigate the emergence of accounts provided by autistic children in small-group discussions. Nine Finnish children (7-10 years old) attending school with special support participated in a five-month-duration pedagogical practice purposefully designed to enhance children's participation in groups. We analyzed videos of sharing circles where children discussed their ideas and interests. Our data show three different account structures, which created different modes of children's participation and gradually changed how they positioned themselves in the group. Results show how accounts can create different focuses of attention; reveal children's reflections on what is relevant to them, and how to promote the exchange of ideas within a small group. Implications for the development of educational practices are discussed.
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3
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Ferreira JM, Muniz LS. Material Engagement Shaping Participation of Children on the Autism Spectrum: Embodiment and Subjectivity in Small-Group Learning. EUROPES JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 20:143-164. [PMID: 39119000 PMCID: PMC11304372 DOI: 10.5964/ejop.13307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the material engagement and their affordances for participation of children on the autism spectrum (AS) in small-group learning. Framed by a methodology called Idea Diary that fosters social interactions in classroom environments, our focus was on understanding how and when the construction and manipulation of the diary supported children's participation and knowledge construction in small groups. This investigation was guided by the intersection of the theory of subjectivity developed by Fernando González Rey and enactive accounts of cognition. This framework provided the view of the singularity in the communicative process of children on the AS and the necessary support for examining the mechanisms of engagement that led to children's participation. We present two case studies of 9-10-year-old boys. Data consists of the diaries produced and used by children and video recordings of children's interactions during small-group discussions. Our analytical approach included a qualitative semiotic analysis of the materials and a micro-analysis of the social interactions. The results showed, first, that children on the AS continuously engaged in the construction of the diary, expressing elements of their subjectivity-experiences, ideas and the system through which they interact with the world. Repetition framed children's productions and signalled engagement. Second, material engagement enabled participatory sense-making, which in this study appeared in creating new communicative resources between the child on the AS and their peers and in adapting the narratives, approximating children's perspectives in conversations. Although contextualised within a specific pedagogical practice, the study contributes to advancing our understanding of the role of material engagement in social participation in learning situations involving children on the AS, particularly relevant in educational psychology and education.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luciana Soares Muniz
- Teacher Education and Training School, University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
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Dufour BD, McBride E, Bartley T, Juarez P, Martínez-Cerdeño V. Distinct patterns of GABAergic interneuron pathology in autism are associated with intellectual impairment and stereotypic behaviors. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2023; 27:1730-1745. [PMID: 36935610 PMCID: PMC10846597 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231154053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in sociability and communication and the presence of repetitive behaviors. How specific pathological alterations of the brain contribute to the clinical profile of autism spectrum disorder remains unknown. We previously found that a specific type of inhibitory interneuron is reduced in number in the autism spectrum disorder prefrontal cortex. Here, we assessed the relationship between interneuron reduction and autism spectrum disorder symptom severity. We collected clinical records from autism spectrum disorder (n = 20) and assessed the relationship between the severity of symptoms and interneuron number. We found that the reduced number of inhibitory interneurons that we previously reported is linked to specific symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, particularly stereotypic movements and intellectual impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett D Dufour
- UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, USA
- UC Davis School of Medicine, USA
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, USA
| | - Erin McBride
- UC Davis School of Medicine, USA
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, USA
- UC Davis Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, USA
| | - Trevor Bartley
- UC Davis School of Medicine, USA
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, USA
- UC Davis Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, USA
| | - Pablo Juarez
- UC Davis School of Medicine, USA
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, USA
| | - Verónica Martínez-Cerdeño
- UC Davis School of Medicine, USA
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, USA
- UC Davis Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, USA
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Xie F, Pascual E, Oakley T. Functional echolalia in autism speech: Verbal formulae and repeated prior utterances as communicative and cognitive strategies. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1010615. [PMID: 36910790 PMCID: PMC9997079 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1010615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Echolalia, the echoing of prior speech, is a typical characteristic of autism. Long considered meaningless repetition to be avoided, echolalia may in fact be used functionally in autism. This paper explores the functions of echolalia by children with autism. Based on two prior studies, we designed an elicitation task involving images of 12 professions (teacher) and 12 objects (birthday cake) commonly associated with given conventionalized expressions in Mandarin (e.g., "sheng ri kuai le!" 'Happy birthday!'). Eight Chinese children with autism (mean age: 55.50 ± 8.64) were asked to name and describe these images. All our participants produced a relatively high proportion of echolalia, mostly for naming, description, and topic development, a small percentage being used as conversation maintenance strategy or as cognitive strategy. This indicates that echolalia is often used communicatively in autism speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Xie
- School of Foreign Languages, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Esther Pascual
- Institute of Linguistics, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Todd Oakley
- Department of Cognitive Science, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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Yu B, Sterponi L. Toward Neurodiversity: How Conversation Analysis Can Contribute to a New Approach to Social Communication Assessment. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2023; 54:27-41. [PMID: 36455243 DOI: 10.1044/2022_lshss-22-00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this clinical focus article was to illustrate the potential of employing conversation analysis (CA) as a method for assessing social communication that is neurodiversity affirming. METHOD This clinical focus article will provide an overview of CA and explain how it offers a theoretically grounded means of analyzing autistic children's everyday social interactions. Our aim is not simply to add a new assessment instrument to the disciplinary toolbox but to use the occasion to spur a reconsideration of how social communicative competence is currently conceptualized in the field and how those assumptions are reified through assessment practices. We will present a case illustration of a bilingual autistic child and his family. We will discuss the implications of a CA-informed assessment for reconceptualizing autistic social communicative competence. RESULTS The case study illustrates the contributions of CA for (a) shifting the focus of assessment from social communication as an individual skill to social communication as an interactional achievement and (b) surfacing social communicative competencies that may be dismissed as pathologies. CONCLUSIONS CA offers a relational understanding of autistic communication and sociality that is compatible with a critical stance on disability. Insights from CA problematize deeply entrenched notions of autism and social communication in speech-language pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betty Yu
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, San Francisco State University, CA
| | - Laura Sterponi
- Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley
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Abstract
The current epistemology of autism as a phenotype derives from the consistency of historical accounts and decades of work within the tradition of descriptive epidemiology, culminating in current categorical descriptions within DSM and ICD nosologies and the concept of "prototypical autism." The demonstrated high heritability of this phenotype has led to an essentialist theory of autism as a biological entity and the concerted search within the developmental brain and genetic science for discrete biological markers. This search has not revealed simple markers explaining autistic outcomes and has led to moves towards a more dimensional account. This article proposes an alternative transactional approach. It proposes to understand autistic states as an emergent property within a complex developmental system; as the neurodivergent brain, and mind and body, encounter their social and physical environment within early development. Key evidence in support of this approach comes from random allocation intervention trials based on such transactional development theory, both in the infancy pre-diagnostic prodrome and the early post-diagnostic period. In replicated evidence, these intervention trials show that a targeted alteration in the quality of social transactional environment available for the child leads to significant, predictable, and sustained alterations in the outcome dimensional autistic phenotype over time; and further, in one prodromal trial, to a significant reduction in later categorical classification status. The inference from this evidence is that the prototypical autistic phenotype is to a degree malleable with a changed experienced social environment and that it is emergent from its constituent traits. Such a transactional approach enlarges our notion of the phenotype and brings the study of autism within mainstream individual difference developmental science. It challenges essentialist views, for instance as to intrinsic autistic "social avoidance" or theory of mind empathy deficits, integrates dimensional and categorical perspectives, and is consistent with the lived experience of autistic people and their advocacy for improved understanding within a social model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Green
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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8
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Breland L. Pretense Awareness Context and Autism: Insights from Conversation Analysis. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:2535-2552. [PMID: 34338950 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05160-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Utilizing approaches from Conversation Analysis and Interactional Sociolinguistics, this study investigates linguistic resources related to discourse while playing a tabletop roleplaying game, with particular investigation around the discourse of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The study examines interactions as they take place across three frames that are associated with interaction in this community of practice: the primary frame, the metagaming frame, and the character frame. The study found that the participants with autism frequently violated the stable pretense awareness context that persists across these frames in tabletop roleplaying game discourse. This research has implications for social skills training methods and psychological models of autism symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Breland
- Department of Linguistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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Cola M, Yankowitz LD, Tena K, Russell A, Bateman L, Knox A, Plate S, Cubit LS, Zampella CJ, Pandey J, Schultz RT, Parish-Morris J. Friend matters: sex differences in social language during autism diagnostic interviews. Mol Autism 2022; 13:5. [PMID: 35012645 PMCID: PMC8751321 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00483-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autistic individuals frequently experience social communication challenges. Girls are diagnosed with autism less often than boys even when their symptoms are equally severe, which may be due to insufficient understanding of the way autism manifests in girls. Differences in the behavioral presentation of autism, including how people talk about social topics, could contribute to these persistent problems with identification. Despite a growing body of research suggesting that autistic girls and boys present distinct symptom profiles in a variety of domains, including social attention, friendships, social motivation, and language, differences in the way that autistic boys and girls communicate verbally are not yet well understood. Closely analyzing boys' and girls' socially-focused language during semi-structured clinical assessments could shed light on potential sex differences in the behavioral presentation of autistic individuals that may prove useful for identifying and effectively supporting autistic girls. Here, we compare social word use in verbally fluent autistic girls and boys during the interview sections of the ADOS-2 Module 3 and measure associations with clinical phenotype. METHODS School-aged girls and boys with autism (N = 101, 25 females; aged 6-15) were matched on age, IQ, and parent/clinician ratings of autism symptom severity. Our primary analysis compared the number of social words produced by autistic boys and girls (normalized to account for differences in total word production). Social words are words that make reference to other people, including friends and family. RESULTS There was a significant main effect of sex on social word production, such that autistic girls used more social words than autistic boys. To identify the specific types of words driving this effect, additional subcategories of friend and family words were analyzed. There was a significant effect of sex on friend words, with girls using significantly more friend words than boys. However, there was no significant main effect of sex on family words, suggesting that sex differences in social word production may be driven by girls talking more about friends compared to boys, not family. To assess relationships between word use and clinical phenotype, we modeled ADOS-2 Social Affect (SA) scores as a function of social word production. In the overall sample, social word use correlated significantly with ADOS-2 SA scores, indicating that participants who used more social words were rated as less socially impaired by clinicians. However, when examined in each sex separately, this result only held for boys. LIMITATIONS This study cannot speak to the ways in which social word use may differ for younger children, adults, or individuals who are not verbally fluent; in addition, there were more autistic boys than girls in our sample, making it difficult to detect small effects. CONCLUSIONS Autistic girls used significantly more social words than boys during a diagnostic assessment-despite being matched on age, IQ, and both parent- and clinician-rated autism symptom severity. Sex differences in linguistic markers of social phenotype in autism are especially important in light of the late or missed diagnoses that disproportionately affect autistic girls. Specifically, heightened talk about social topics could complicate autism referral and diagnosis when non-clinician observers expect a male-typical pattern of reduced social focus, which autistic girls may not always exhibit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith Cola
- Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2716 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
- Department of Psychology, La Salle University, 1900 West Olney Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19141 USA
| | - Lisa D. Yankowitz
- Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2716 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 3720 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Kimberly Tena
- Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2716 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Alison Russell
- Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2716 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Leila Bateman
- Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2716 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Azia Knox
- Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2716 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Samantha Plate
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 210 S. Bouquet St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA
| | - Laura S. Cubit
- Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2716 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Casey J. Zampella
- Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2716 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Juhi Pandey
- Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2716 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Robert T. Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2716 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Julia Parish-Morris
- Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2716 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
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Paldam E, Roepstorff A. A robot or a dumper truck? Facilitating play-based social learning across neurotypes. AUTISM & DEVELOPMENTAL LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS 2022; 7:23969415221086714. [PMID: 36382066 PMCID: PMC9620708 DOI: 10.1177/23969415221086714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Structured abstract Background & aims How can non-autistic adults facilitate social learning with children on the spectrum? A new theoretical understanding of autism is currently emerging that has made this question more relevant than ever. At the intersection of two growing research areas in the field of autism, the borderland that separates the experience of social interaction between neurotypes is increasingly mapped out. By integrating anthropological research on autistic sociality and the neurocognitive framework of predictive processing, this paper explores the question: If autistic people experience the world in a fundamentally different way, what is a meaningful strategy for supporting them in developing their socialities? Methods The paper reports an in-depth analysis of a 2-min sequence in which a non-autistic adult facilitates a collaboration game between three autistic children (8-12 years). The data comes from a participatory research project that develops a new pedagogical approach to social learning based on open-ended construction play. The analytical strategy is informed by conversation analysis. Results We find that the facilitation supports the children in accomplishing social interaction and collaboration, but it also in several instances gives rise to misunderstandings between the children. Whereas the facilitator aims to support the children's direct verbal communication about the construction task, we observe that the children use a broad repertoire of non-direct communication strategies that enables them to coordinate and align their shared process. We find that the children's actions with their hands in the construction task count as turns in the communication. Regarding the play-based learning environment, we find that the children are engaged in the shared construction task and that they competently navigate social tension when it arises without the facilitator's help. Conclusion We conclude that the misunderstandings between the children created by the facilitation from a non-autistic adult emerge from a discrepancy of attention in the situation. The facilitator focuses on the words, but the children focus on the task. Even though this discrepancy is not necessarily a result of different neurotypes, we find that it emerges from the social dynamics of facilitation by non-autistic adults that is key in many social intervention settings. Furthermore, we conclude that the play-based learning environment enables the facilitator to support the children without directly instructing them in their social behavior. This appears to give the children an opportunity to acquire complex social experiences through their collaboration. Implications The interaction dynamics in the data clip is shaped by the non-autistic adult's expectations of the children's interaction. This made us wonder whether we can establish a learning environment that begins from the learners' perspectives instead. The analysis caused us to change the facilitation strategy that we employ in our project. It is our hope that our approach will inspire reflection and curiosity in researchers and practitioners who develop social interventions targeting autistic people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella Paldam
- The Interacting Minds Centre, School of Culture and
Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Andreas Roepstorff
- The Interacting Minds Centre, School of Culture and
Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Bottema-Beutel K, Crowley S, Kim SY. Sequence organization of autistic children's play with caregivers: Rethinking follow-in directives. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2021; 26:1267-1281. [PMID: 34560824 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211046799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT In this article we use a qualitative method, conversation analysis, to examine videos of caregivers interacting with their young autistic children who are in the early phases of language learning. Conversation analysis involves preparation of detailed transcripts of video data, which are then analyzed together to understand how interactional moves (e.g. talk, gestures, and physical conduct) are linked with prior and subsequent interactional moves. We analyzed data from 15 participants, and focused on instances when caregivers made a proposal about something the child was playing with. In previous research, similar instances have been referred to as "follow-in directives." We found that these proposals were embedded in sequences that had a similar structure, and were prefaced with a 'pre-proposal'; where the caregiver established the child's interest in a joint activity and signaled the upcoming proposal. The caregiver's talk was also provided in such a way that there was a clear "slot" for the child's turn, which made it easy for the child's actions to become part of an interactional sequence. In addition, proposal sequences were very negotiable-the caregivers do not usually insist that the child follow through on the proposal, only that they produce an action that could be taken as a response. Finally, there were some instances where the child's turn was very precisely timed to occur right at the end of a caregiver's proposal; this precise timing could signal the child's understanding of how interactional turn-taking works. We suggest that this method of examining caregiver-child interactions provides new insights into how interactions proceed, which could be useful for future intervention research.
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12
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Pruccoli J, Spadoni C, Orsenigo A, Parmeggiani A. Should Echolalia Be Considered a Phonic Stereotypy? A Narrative Review. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11070862. [PMID: 34209516 PMCID: PMC8301866 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) defines echolalia as a pathological, parrotlike, and apparently senseless repetition (echoing) of a word or phrase just uttered by another person and classifies this condition among the “restrictive and repetitive behaviours” of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The authors reviewed the existing literature on echolalia and its role in the development of children with ASD. Current conceptualizations include echolalia among repetitive behaviors and stereotypies and thus interpret this symptom as lacking any communicative significance, with negative effects on learning and sensory processing. Echoic behaviors, however, have been described in neurotypical infants and children as having a substantial effect on the consequent development of language and communication. Relevant research has documented a functional role of echolalia in ASD children as well since it facilitates the acquisition of verbal competencies and affords a higher degree of semantic generalization. This developmental function could be restricted to specific contexts. Considering echolalia as stereotypy and treating it as a disturbing symptom could impair the development of ASD-specific learning and communication processes. In light of this evidence, the authors propose a different conceptualization of echolalia and suggest that this symptom be considered among atypical communication patterns in children with ASD, with implications for treatment and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Pruccoli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, U.O. Neuropsichiatria dell’Età Pediatrica, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (J.P.); (C.S.); (A.O.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Chiara Spadoni
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, U.O. Neuropsichiatria dell’Età Pediatrica, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (J.P.); (C.S.); (A.O.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Alex Orsenigo
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, U.O. Neuropsichiatria dell’Età Pediatrica, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (J.P.); (C.S.); (A.O.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Antonia Parmeggiani
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, U.O. Neuropsichiatria dell’Età Pediatrica, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (J.P.); (C.S.); (A.O.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
- Correspondence:
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Lanzarini E, Pruccoli J, Grimandi I, Spadoni C, Angotti M, Pignataro V, Sacrato L, Franzoni E, Parmeggiani A. Phonic and Motor Stereotypies in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Video Analysis and Neurological Characterization. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11040431. [PMID: 33800677 PMCID: PMC8066337 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11040431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Stereotypies are among the core symptoms of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and can cause significant clinical impairment. At present, phonic stereotypies in ASD have been scarcely explored. This study investigates the frequency, variability, and typologies of phonic and motor stereotypies in children with ASD and their association with clinical neurological variables. We examined 35 patients by recording standardized video sessions and administering the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition (ADOS-2). Phonic stereotypies were present in 83.0% of the patients. The most prevalent subtypes were noncommunicative vocalizations (60.0%), single syllables (37.1%), and echolalic stereotypies (22.9%). Noncommunicative vocalizations were more frequent in nonverbal patients (OR = 4.629, p = 0.008), while echolalic stereotypies were more represented in verbal patients (OR = 0.279, p = 0.028). Patients with intellectual disability (ID) showed a higher number (F(1,26) = 9.406, p = 0.005) and variability (F(1,25) = 7.174, p = 0.013) of motor stereotypies, with a higher number (F(1,26) = 13.268, p = 0.005) and variability (F(1,26) = 9.490, p = 0.005) of stereotypies involving the head/trunk/shoulders category. Patients with guttural stereotypies showed a higher variability of total motor stereotypies (OR = 1.487, p = 0.032) and self-directed motor stereotypies (OR = 4.389, p = 0.042). These results, combined with a standardized video-analysis, document the frequency and variability of phonic stereotypies among children with ASD. Correlations between specific phonic stereotypies and verbal abilities should be investigated further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evamaria Lanzarini
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Infermi Hospital, AUSL Romagna, 47923 Rimini, Italy;
| | - Jacopo Pruccoli
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (J.P.); (I.G.); (C.S.); (M.A.); (V.P.); (L.S.)
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Irene Grimandi
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (J.P.); (I.G.); (C.S.); (M.A.); (V.P.); (L.S.)
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Chiara Spadoni
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (J.P.); (I.G.); (C.S.); (M.A.); (V.P.); (L.S.)
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Marida Angotti
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (J.P.); (I.G.); (C.S.); (M.A.); (V.P.); (L.S.)
| | - Veronica Pignataro
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (J.P.); (I.G.); (C.S.); (M.A.); (V.P.); (L.S.)
| | - Leonardo Sacrato
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (J.P.); (I.G.); (C.S.); (M.A.); (V.P.); (L.S.)
| | - Emilio Franzoni
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Antonia Parmeggiani
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (J.P.); (I.G.); (C.S.); (M.A.); (V.P.); (L.S.)
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-051-214-4013
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Bottema-Beutel K, Kim SY. A Systematic Literature Review of Autism Research on Caregiver Talk. Autism Res 2020; 14:432-449. [PMID: 33377301 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Describing how caregivers' talk to their autistic children, and how their talk may influence social and language outcomes, has important implications for developmental theory and intervention research. In this systematic literature review, we examine 294 caregiver talk variables extracted from 65 studies, provide a narrative overview of research findings, and link measurement approaches to various theories of language development. The majority of variables included only talk directed to children (90%), and specified the speech act being performed (57%). More than one-third of variables measured talk that was responsive to children's attention, activities, or communication (38%), and slightly less than a third measured variables that elicited children's communication or engagement. Semantic aspects of talk were specified in 41% of variables, structural features were measured in 20% of variables, and suprasegmental features were measured in only 1% of variables. Talk quantity (without reference to other aspects of talk) was measured in 8% of variables. We found strong support that talk related to children's attention is implicated in autistic children's language development, but this construct has been measured inconsistently in terms of semantic, structural, and functional features. There is also evidence for bi-directional relationships between caregiver's talk and autistic children's development on a variety of semantic and structural variables. LAY SUMMARY: In our review, we found many differences in how researchers measured caregiver's talk, but also some promising leads. Researchers should continue examining caregiver talk related to children's focus of attention to clarify how this type of language contributes to autistic children's development. We also found interesting research on how children influence caregiver's talk, and encourage researchers to continue to study how this occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Bottema-Beutel
- Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
| | - So Yoon Kim
- Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
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15
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Ryan Idriss C. Invisible Autistic Infrastructure: Ethnographic Reflections on an Autistic Community. Med Anthropol 2020; 40:129-140. [PMID: 33216640 DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2020.1849185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
In this article, I provide an ethnographic account of an autistic-run community for adults in a North American city. By spending time with each other in loosely structured social interactions, members of this group participate in the ongoing construction of a complex and necessary social infrastructure in the face of often inadequate social and material support from their personal networks, and the larger society in which they live. The work this community does remains largely invisible because it runs counter to dominant biomedical understandings of autism and exists outside of the autism treatment industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara Ryan Idriss
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
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16
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Rae JP, Ramey M. Correction and repair: a comparative analysis of a boy with ASD interacting with a parent and with an ABA trainer. CLINICAL LINGUISTICS & PHONETICS 2020; 34:1018-1044. [PMID: 32648490 DOI: 10.1080/02699206.2020.1754920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is a widely used therapeutic intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) yet there has been little research into the interactional organization of ABA sessions. We report a comparative case study of two interactions in which the same child, a 12-year-old boy with ASD, interacts with his father and interacts with an Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) trainer. Both interactions occur at home and are drawn from a small corpus (2 h) of children with ASD in domestic settings. Drawing on CA to delineate the sequential relationships between the actions of the adult participant and the child, we present a quantitative and microstructural analysis of 156 directive sequences in order to examine the similarities and differences between the two interactions. We first show that the rate of the production of directives is higher in the ABA session. The analysis then demonstrates the applicability of Schegloff, Jefferson and Sacks' (1977) treatment of repair in conversation to some problems that occur in how the child responses to adults' directives. However, we show that whilst some correction-initiations target problems with hearing, speaking, and understanding, some target substantive problems. We identify a practice, explicating an error, whereby correction-initiations are expanded to point out the nature of the error. This practice can show that the correction-target is being construed as a substantive error. In such cases, the correction-initiation is not a subtype of repair-initiation in the sense of Schegloff, Jefferson and Sacks' (1977) analysis of repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Rae
- Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton , London, UK
| | - Monica Ramey
- Formerly of the Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton , London, UK
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17
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La Valle C, Plesa-Skwerer D, Tager-Flusberg H. Comparing the Pragmatic Speech Profiles of Minimally Verbal and Verbally Fluent Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50:3699-3713. [PMID: 32096124 PMCID: PMC7483391 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04421-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Although pragmatic speech impairments have been found across the autism spectrum, how these manifest in minimally verbal (MV) individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not been studied. We compared the pragmatic speech profiles of MV (n = 50) and verbally fluent (VF) individuals with ASD (n = 50; 6-21 years-old) based on natural language sampling during the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2. MV individuals with ASD primarily used their speech to agree/acknowledge/disagree, respond to a question, and request. In contrast, the primary pragmatic function used by VF individuals was commenting. Out of the total non-echolalic speech, groups did not differ proportionally in labeling and response to questions. Findings highlight the importance of investigating multiple aspects of pragmatic communication across different conversational partners and contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea La Valle
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Center for Autism Research Excellence, Boston University, 100 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Daniela Plesa-Skwerer
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Center for Autism Research Excellence, Boston University, 100 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Helen Tager-Flusberg
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Center for Autism Research Excellence, Boston University, 100 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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18
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Malloy C, Cuda J, Kim SY, Bottema‐Beutel K. “They can even make waiting in line fun”: A quantitative content analysis of autistic children's friendship conceptualizations. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pits.22362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Malloy
- Department of Teaching, Curriculum, and SocietyLynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston CollegeNewton Massachusetts
| | - Josephine Cuda
- Department of Teaching, Curriculum, and SocietyLynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston CollegeNewton Massachusetts
| | - So Yoon Kim
- Department of Teaching, Curriculum, and SocietyLynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston CollegeNewton Massachusetts
| | - Kristen Bottema‐Beutel
- Department of Teaching, Curriculum, and SocietyLynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston CollegeNewton Massachusetts
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19
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Bottema-Beutel K, Oliveira G, Cohen SR, Miguel J. Question-response-evaluation sequences in the home interactions of a bilingual child with autism spectrum disorder. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2020; 55:216-230. [PMID: 31696610 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior research has described the prevalence and utility of questions in children's language learning environment. However, there has been little empirical investigation of the interaction sequences that ensue following caregiver questions. Understanding these interactions may be especially important for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who may have difficulty engaging in reciprocal interactions. Question-response-evaluation sequences (QRE) are a particular type of interaction sequence launched by questions that have been examined primarily in classroom contexts. Less research has been devoted to understanding how caregivers and children with ASD leverage this interactional format in the context of home interactions. AIMS We focus on QRE sequences within interactions between a 5-year-old bilingual child with ASD and his parents. In these sequences, the adult poses known-answer questions, the child responds and the adult evaluates the response. QRE sequences are primarily structured by the questioner (i.e., the parents in our context), and we examine the interactive work done by parents to initiate, maintain and close these sequences. We also examine the child's contributions to these sequences. METHODS & PROCEDURES We applied conversation analysis (CA) to video recordings of home routines, such as play, book-reading and schoolwork. Videos were fully transcribed using CA conventions, and 55 QRE segments were isolated from the data corpus for further analysis. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Q-word questions (i.e., where, what, why, when, how questions) were the most prevalent question format, and repetition of the child's response was the most prevalent form of evaluation. We found that QRE sequences were embedded within a variety of action trajectories that extend beyond pedagogical functions. These included repairing a prior utterance, extending collaborative play routines and engaging in topically connected labelling rituals. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS QRE sequences appeared to strike a balance in terms of the level of constraint they placed on the child's contributions to interactions, and the affordances they provide for participating in and progressing through interactions. This study can help clinicians understand the types of interactions that can be pursued with QRE sequences in their work with children with ASD. The findings may also aid intervention researchers' efforts to leverage caregivers' existing strengths for adapting their interactional overtures to maximize children's engagement. Finally, this study provides an illustration of caregiver-child interactions in a population that is currently under-represented in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabrielle Oliveira
- Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shana R Cohen
- Department of Education Studies, University of California-San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jessica Miguel
- Department of Education Studies, University of California-San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
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20
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To better understand the shared basis of language and mental health, this review examines the behavioral and neurobiological features of aberrant language in five major neuropsychiatric conditions. Special attention is paid to genes implicated in both language and neuropsychiatric disorders, as they reveal biological domains likely to underpin the processes controlling both. RECENT FINDINGS Abnormal language and communication are common manifestations of neuropsychiatric conditions, and children with impaired language are more likely to develop psychiatric disorders than their peers. Major themes in the genetics of both language and psychiatry include master transcriptional regulators, like FOXP2; key developmental regulators, like AUTS2; and mediators of neurotransmission, like GRIN2A and CACNA1C.
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21
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Abstract
Observations about peculiarities in the autistic population concerning type and frequency of references to subjective states, and lack of perspective taking, have been on the whole referred to as the paradox of the autistic self, i.e. a co-presence of ego-centeredness and weak self-referentiality (Lombardo & Baron Cohen 2010). Prevalent approaches in autism ascribe these peculiarities to high order disfunctions caused by neurological factors, such as defective self-encoding processes. Two narratives told by an adult man with Asperger during counselling are examined with Conversation Analysis; the analysis identifies features that may lead to descriptions like the paradox of autistic self, but also reveals competences related to perspective-taking and narrative construction. Drawing on Bruner's narrative theory, as well on recent interactional research on autism and the psychology of self, it is suggested that a relatively limited practice with narrative co-construction might be at the origin of the peculiarities observed. A socio-developmental approach to the understanding of autism not only can provide explanations compatible with first and second person accounts of life with autism, but can also open new paths for researching ways of self-construction that are less reliant on social interaction. The article finally challenges assumptions in psychological research about the ability of humans to access their internal states, and discusses how such assumptions can deter understanding of atypical populations.
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22
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Bottema-Beutel K, Malloy C, Cuda J, Kim SY, MacEvoy JP. Friendship Expectations May be Similar for Mental Age-Matched Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Children. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49:4346-4354. [PMID: 31302820 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04141-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We assessed 3rd-5th grade children's endorsement of 12 friendship expectations, in two mental age-matched (M = 10.15 years) groups; one with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 20) and one with typical development (TD; n = 21). Groups rated friendship expectations similarly for all but one expectation, expressing care, which received significantly higher ratings in the ASD group. Overall expectation ratings were significantly and positively correlated with friendship quality in the ASD group (r = 0.43), but not the TD, group (r = 0.08). Expectations were not correlated with loneliness or self-worth in either group. In children with ASD, expectations pertaining to reliability/trust, kindness/caring, and help/reciprocity were rated highest, followed by togetherness/amusement, and finally by intimacy/disclosure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Bottema-Beutel
- Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
| | - Caitlin Malloy
- Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Josephine Cuda
- Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - So Yoon Kim
- Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Julie Paquette MacEvoy
- Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology Department, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, USA
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23
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Commentary on Social Skills Training Curricula for Individuals with ASD: Social Interaction, Authenticity, and Stigma. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 48:953-964. [PMID: 29170937 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3400-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
By teaching social rules thought to be necessary for social competence, social skills training (SST) curricula aim to improve indicators of well-being for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such as the attainment of meaningful friendships. However, several recent meta-analyses indicate that SST curricula may fall short of these goals. We offer an explanation for these potentially null effects by illustrating how the content of these curricula diverge from empirical evidence derived from disciplines that take social interaction as their object of study. Next, we argue that employing the social rules advocated for by SST curricula may work counterproductively by inhibiting authenticity, while at the same time increasing stigma associated with ASD. We close with suggestions for future intervention research.
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24
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Niego A, Benítez-Burraco A. Williams Syndrome, Human Self-Domestication, and Language Evolution. Front Psychol 2019; 10:521. [PMID: 30936846 PMCID: PMC6431629 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Language evolution resulted from changes in our biology, behavior, and culture. One source of these changes might be human self-domestication. Williams syndrome (WS) is a clinical condition with a clearly defined genetic basis which results in a distinctive behavioral and cognitive profile, including enhanced sociability. In this paper we show evidence that the WS phenotype can be satisfactorily construed as a hyper-domesticated human phenotype, plausibly resulting from the effect of the WS hemideletion on selected candidates for domestication and neural crest (NC) function. Specifically, we show that genes involved in animal domestication and NC development and function are significantly dysregulated in the blood of subjects with WS. We also discuss the consequences of this link between domestication and WS for our current understanding of language evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Niego
- Ph.D. Program, Faculty of Humanities, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish, Linguistics, and Theory of Literature, Faculty of Philology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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25
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Bottema-Beutel K, Kim SY, Crowley S. A systematic review and meta-regression analysis of social functioning correlates in autism and typical development. Autism Res 2018; 12:152-175. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.2055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - So Yoon Kim
- Lynch School of Education, Boston College; Chestnut Hill Massachusetts
| | - Shannon Crowley
- Lynch School of Education, Boston College; Chestnut Hill Massachusetts
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26
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He AX, Luyster R, Hong SJ, Arunachalam S. Personal pronoun usage in maternal input to infants at high vs. low risk for autism spectrum disorder. FIRST LANGUAGE 2018; 38:520-537. [PMID: 30828112 PMCID: PMC6395047 DOI: 10.1177/0142723718782634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are prone to personal pronoun difficulties. This paper investigates maternal input as a potential contributing factor, focusing on an early developmental stage before ASD diagnosis. Using Quigley and McNally's (2013) corpus of maternal speech to infants (3-19 months; N = 19) who are either at high or low risk for a diagnosis of ASD (Quigley & McNally, 2013), we asked whether mothers used fewer pronouns with high-risk infants. Indeed, high-risk infants heard fewer second-person pronouns relative to their names than low-risk infants. We further investigated the contexts in which mothers were using infants' names. Our results indicated that mothers of high-risk infants often used the infants' names simply to get their attention by calling them. We suggest that high-risk infants may thus hear relatively fewer pronouns because their mothers spend more time trying to get their attention. This may be related to differences in social-communicative behavior between low-risk and high-risk infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Xiaoxue He
- Boston University, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
| | - Rhiannon Luyster
- Emerson College, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
| | - Sung Ju Hong
- Boston University, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- University of Bath, UK, Department of Psychology
| | - Sudha Arunachalam
- Boston University, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
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27
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Heasman B, Gillespie A. Neurodivergent intersubjectivity: Distinctive features of how autistic people create shared understanding. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2018; 23:910-921. [PMID: 30073872 PMCID: PMC6512057 DOI: 10.1177/1362361318785172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Autistic people are neurologically divergent, yet approaches to studying autism
are framed by neurotypical definitions of being social. Using the concept of
intersubjectivity, which conceptualises a variety of ways of socially relating,
we investigate distinctive features of how autistic people build social
understanding. A total of 30 members of a charity supporting adults with autism
were video-recorded during a social activity they enjoyed, namely collaborative
video gaming. Mapping the coherence, affect and symmetry of each conversational
turn revealed shifting patterns of intersubjectivity within each interaction.
Focussing on clusters of consistent and fragmented turns led us to identify two
features of neurodivergent intersubjectivity: a generous assumption of common
ground that, when understood, led to rapid rapport, and, when not understood,
resulted in potentially disruptive utterances; and a low demand for coordination
that ameliorated many challenges associated with disruptive turns. Our findings
suggest that neurodivergent intersubjectivity reveals potential for
unconventional forms of social relating and that a within-interaction analysis
is a viable methodology for exploring neurodivergent communication. Future
research should examine the varieties of neurodivergent intersubjectivity, with
associated problems and potentials, and how those forms of intersubjectivity can
be enabled to flourish, particularly in autistic-to-neurotypical encounters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett Heasman
- Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
| | - Alex Gillespie
- Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
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28
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Kissine M, Clin E, de Villiers J. [Pragmatics in autism spectrum disorder: recent developments]. Med Sci (Paris) 2016; 32:874-878. [PMID: 27758752 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/20163210021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by primary pragmatic difficulties, out of step with verbal and non-verbal developmental level. This selective survey paper addresses three recent domains of research on pragmatic functions in autism. First, we provide an up-to-date discussion of how lack of sensitivity to social cues impacts early acquisition of words. Second, we review recent findings on the comprehension of non-literal language, pointing to a more refined clinical reality. Third, we describe recent developments in the study of conversation skills in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Kissine
- ACTE/LaDisco, Université libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgique
| | - Elise Clin
- ACTE/LaDisco, Université libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgique
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29
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Tammet D. Autism: a spectrum of speculation. Brain 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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