#AUTISM SOCIAL QUESTIONS SERIES#

Additionally, the presence of initiations is a predictor of overall long-term outcome, highlighting the importance of teaching initiations in treatment programs ( Koegel et. Furthermore, verbal initiations are considered to be a pivotal area that, when targeted, can produce collateral gains in other desired behaviors that were not directly addressed in intervention ( Koegel & Koegel, 2006 Oke & Schreibman, 1990 Taylor & Harris, 1995). Empirical research investigating interventions to improve social communicative initiations is emerging, but remains an area of great need ( Koegel, 2000 Paul, 2008).

However, question-asking is critically important for a child with autism to be considered socially competent during conversation ( Koegel, 2000) and for more positive longitudinal outcomes ( Koegel, Koegel, Shoshan, & McNerney, 1999). In children with autism who ask questions, they are often used inappropriately ( Hurtig, Ensrude, & Tomblin, 1982). Initiation of question-asking in children with autism has been found to be less frequent than in typical children ( Hung, 1977 Koegel, 2000 Taylor & Harris, 1995).

As conversation becomes more elaborate, questions are used to make sure that a dialogue is maintained and continued through a series of turns ( McTear, 1985). How, why, when, and which questions usually emerge in that order, closer to the child’s third birthday ( Bloom et al.

Although there is variability in the age of acquisition of expressive wh- questions, these forms are acquired sequentially, with what and where questions used around 26 months and who questions by 28 months ( Bloom et al., 1982). More complex wh- questions typically emerge after a child’s second birthday ( Bloom, Merkin & Wootten, 1982). One of the first questions that typically developing children ask is “ What’s that?” ( Brown, 1968 Koegel et al., 1998). Question-asking is a fundamental initiation in social conversation that is used to sustain an interaction between individuals and avoid awkward pauses in the discourse ( Kearsley, 1976). Without appropriate pragmatics, an individual is likely to be judged by others as boring, rude, disinterested or inappropriate ( Brinton & Fujiki, 1989 Impairments in initiations continue beyond childhood, as adolescents and adults with autism typically display an inadequate number of initiations, greatly contributing to a notable deficit in social pragmatics ( Frea, 1995 Koegel, Camarata, Valdez-Menchaca & Koegel, 1998 Koegel & Koegel, 2006 Wetherby & Prutting, 1984). In early development, children with autism make fewer social initiations than typically developing children and use language primarily for requesting objects and protesting, rather than engaging others in a communicative interaction ( Stone, Ousley, Yoder, Hogan, & Hepburn, 1997 Wetherby & Prutting, 1984).

Whether this impairment stems from an inability or lack of motivation is a research question that remains unanswered.Ĭonversation is comprised of a series of initiations and responses to those initiations. However, according to diagnostic criteria, individuals diagnosed with autism exhibit a “marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation,” often leading to social isolation (APA, 2000, p. Conversation is a ubiquitous part of our social world, and is necessary for everyday interactions as well as forming and maintaining relationships with others (Brinton & Fujiki, 1985). Social conversation is a multifaceted construct that involves a natural and reciprocal exchange of information between two or more people who are engaged in an interpersonal interaction ( McTear, 1985).

#AUTISM SOCIAL QUESTIONS SERIES#

Autism social questions