Autism spectrum as a communication disorder: A case study

Abstract

Communication is a vital social phenomenon; therefore, its study must be related to theories of social structure, social behavior, and human interaction. Successful communication is substantially crucial for better social life in all contexts. Unfortunately, the process of communication in medical settings and healthcare is challenging, especially when communicating with patients who are affected by cognitive communicative disorders including people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. This paper aims to address the difficulties and the different encumbrances related to autism and communication in the Algerian context. It attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of communication interventions in children with ASD, and look for reliable methods to help families promote their children's communication abilities. The current research is a case study of a six-year-old child with ASD, in addition to the participants involved; his caregivers, parents, escorts, and the speech therapist. The study shows that the child suffers from language impairments that are typical of autistic children's verbal repertoire: lexical, grammatical, morphological, and syntactic impairments that lead to a failure in the communicative task. The analysis of the data indicates that patients with ASD suffer also from different extra-linguistic problems which can be diminished through successful social interaction and effective therapeutic interventions.

Keywords: Autism, communication, language, caregiver, interventions.

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