Autism Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Autism, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, causes, effects.

Interpreting problematic behavior: systematic compensatory adaptations as emergent phenomena in autism.

Damico JS, Nelson RL

The University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA 70504, USA. jsdamico@louisiana.edu

Based upon an emergent account of pragmatic ability and disability, this article provides theoretical and empirical support for a conceptually deeper understanding of some systematic behaviors that have served as diagnostic indices in communicatively impaired populations. Specifically, by employing conversation analysis, several examples of problematic behaviors in autism are analysed as a specific type of compensatory adaptation. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Published 15 July 2005 in Clin Linguist Phon, 19(5): 405-17.
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