Linguistics Senior Research Projects
Document Type
Capstone Project
Submission Date
Spring 2017
Keywords
Autism, autism spectrum disorder, echolalia, autistic language, language improvement strategies
Abstract
Diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have increased significantly in recent years, necessitating a deeper understanding of its symptoms and how to improve on the resulting deficits in communication and social skills. This study examined the possibility of improving the communication of a thirteen-year-old boy with ASD. Within eight sessions, several methods of improving communication were tested, including using a computer to type messages, using pictures to guide conversations, and using simple, open-ended questions. Despite predictions that his communication would improve with the help of focused efforts to communicate and the implementation of these strategies, the participant’s communication skills did not demonstrate much change over the course of the study. However, some methods were found to be more effective in encouraging him to communicate. This study adds to the available data on how autistic individuals communicate and provides information on which methods are more effective for improving the communication of adolescents with ASD.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Seymour, Olivia P., "Say It Again: A Case Study on Improving Communication in an Autistic Adolescent" (2017). Linguistics Senior Research Projects. 10.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/linguistics_senior_projects/10
Included in
Child Psychology Commons, Language Description and Documentation Commons, Other Linguistics Commons, Other Psychology Commons, Psycholinguistics and Neurolinguistics Commons
