自閉性スペクトラム障害者におけるナラティブ研究の動向と意義

Recent investigations of communication abilities in children with autistic spectrum disorder have focused on narrative. The present review aims to explore trends in the study of narrative and issues related to the future development of children with autistic spectrum disorder. Children with autistic spectrum disorder may be unable to select and organize information about events adequately enough to be able to communicate that information to others, because of their difficulty in anticipating what a listener needs to know. This problem in pragmatic impairments in these children's narrative has been interpreted from the perspective of their deficits in theory of mind. However, the present review proposes that the narratives of children with autistic spectrum disorder might be an effective tool not only in relation to their pragmatic impairments, but also in terms of the possibility of gaining insight into the interrelation between narrative and social abilities in children with autistic spectrum disorder, and in relation to development of appropriate supports for these children. Future investigations should focus on relations between narrative and social abilities of children with autistic spectrum disorder, and on support for these children.