An intervention program to improve metaphor comprehension in children with autism spectrum disorder
Type de matériel :
49
The authors analyze the case of a child, “F,” aged 10 years and 3 months, who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without any intellectual disability. F has adequate basic language abilities in both comprehension (vocabulary and grammar) and production in spite of some weaknesses in the areas of pragmatic language abilities, executive function, and social cognition. This study describes a program aimed at improving metaphor comprehension—an area in which F presented some difficulties—as measured by two metaphor comprehension tests, one based on sensory metaphors and the other on psychological metaphors. The program offered a range of activities where the child was trained to use some strategies to analyze metaphors in the canonical form “X is Y,” and other exercises that trained the child about abstract semantic features of words. At the post-test stage, F showed visible improvements in understanding sensory metaphors, and reduced improvements in understanding psychological metaphors. The authors discuss these outcomes in light of the cognitive and neuropsychological profile of the child and suggest further avenues of research.
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