Enhancing Metaphor and Metonymy Comprehension in Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

Sergio Melogno, Maria Antonietta Pinto

Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy.
Department of Paediatrics and Neuropsychiatry, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy.

DOI: 10.4236/psych.2014.511148                

Abstract

This article addresses how to enhance metaphor and metonymy comprehension in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD), who are known to have difficulties with figurative language. After considering some major issues on typical development and in HF-ASD, and some studies on treatment in this specific domain, the authors describe an intervention methodology that can be used in schools and clinics. This methodology is based on two main points: 1) the explicit teaching of strategies for understanding metaphors and 2) activities for enhancing the abstraction of semantic features in metaphors and metonymies. The authors show how these devices can make complex processes such as figurative language comprehension more concrete for children with HF-ASD.

Keywords

Autism Spectrum Disorder, High-Functioning, Metaphor, Metonymy, Intervention Strategies

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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