Iranian Researcher Presents Treatment Protocol for Language Development of Autistic Children

In Persian language, therapeutic programs and assessment tools in the field of abstract and metaphorical concepts for children with autism disorder are very limited.

For this reason, Mehdi Madani Fard, a PhD student at Tarbiat Modarres University in Tehran, took a step towards rehabilitation and linguistic development of Persian-speaking children with autism in the form of his specialized doctoral thesis in the field of ‘Cognitive Sciences-Linguistics’ by presenting a treatment protocol.

The thesis investigated understanding of Embodied Conceptual Metaphors in two groups of children with autism and normal children in four stages by using two types of visual and auditory tests.

Then, by designing a strengtheing program, including five sets, the abstract concept of metaphor was taught in 20 sessions, and the study investigated the effect of this program on understanding of physical conceptual metaphors in 7-12-year-old Persian-speaking boys with mild autism.

One of the most significant achievements of this research was finding a way to strengthen the understanding of embodied metaphors and generally strengthen abstract thinking in children with autism. In fact, this program can leave positive effects on the language and communication performance of these children.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention.

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