Children with high functioning autism: A pilot study of a training intervention to enhance pragmatic skills

Background: Pragmatics is agreed to be the communicative domain that is universally impaired in ASD, with variable severity across the spectrum. The difficulties experienced by children with autism in language use can limit their opportunities to socialize with peers, with a consequent higher risk of mental health problems in adolescence. Methods: The present study explored pragmatic language skills in children with ASD, aiming at evaluating the efficacy of a training conducted with a group of three children aged 8-9 years. The five training sessions involved activities aimed at improving pragmatic skills in conversational domains. All sessions were videotaped and analyzed following a protocol and children were pre- and post-tested using a battery of tasks for the evaluation of pragmatic language abilities. Results: Children's difficulties emerged especially in scores obtained in the language battery, whereas their behavior appeared as more appropriate in the conversational setting. Some improvements in pragmatic skills were observed at post-test. The results are discussed in terms of their educational and clinical implications. Conclusions: Enhancing social relationships of children with autism it is critical in real and everyday contexts, not only to mitigate their difficulties but also to optimize their resources.