Assessing pragmatic abilities in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

The aim of the study was to explore pragmatic skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Six children with ASD between ages 3 to 8 years were chosen as the participants. A pragmatic tool developed at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), Mysore as part of a dissertation was administered. Pragmatics is a critical part of communication and is related to social skills, learning, and literacy skills in children with autism. Several advanced and intermediate pragmatic skills like turn taking and joint attention were found to be affected in these children. The current study highlights the need to enhance pragmatic skills in children with ASD as a component of communication, alongside language content and form.