Cargando…

Figurative language processing in atypical populations: the ASD perspective

This paper is intended to provide a critical overview of experimental and clinical research documenting problems in figurative language processing in atypical populations with a focus on the Autistic Spectrum. Research in the comprehension and processing of figurative language in autism invariably d...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Vulchanova, Mila, Saldaña, David, Chahboun, Sobh, Vulchanov, Valentin
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2015
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4330886/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25741261
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00024
_version_ 1782357640063483904
author Vulchanova, Mila
Saldaña, David
Chahboun, Sobh
Vulchanov, Valentin
author_facet Vulchanova, Mila
Saldaña, David
Chahboun, Sobh
Vulchanov, Valentin
author_sort Vulchanova, Mila
collection PubMed
description This paper is intended to provide a critical overview of experimental and clinical research documenting problems in figurative language processing in atypical populations with a focus on the Autistic Spectrum. Research in the comprehension and processing of figurative language in autism invariably documents problems in this area. The greater paradox is that even at the higher end of the spectrum or in the cases of linguistically talented individuals with Asperger syndrome, where structural language competence is intact, problems with extended language persist. If we assume that figurative and extended uses of language essentially depend on the perception and processing of more concrete core concepts and phenomena, the commonly observed failure in atypical populations to understand figurative language remains a puzzle. Various accounts have been offered to explain this issue, ranging from linking potential failure directly to overall structural language competence (Norbury, 2005; Brock et al., 2008) to right-hemispheric involvement (Gold and Faust, 2010). We argue that the dissociation between structural language and figurative language competence in autism should be sought in more general cognitive mechanisms and traits in the autistic phenotype (e.g., in terms of weak central coherence, Vulchanova et al., 2012b), as well as failure at on-line semantic integration with increased complexity and diversity of the stimuli (Coulson and Van Petten, 2002). This perspective is even more compelling in light of similar problems in a number of conditions, including both acquired (e.g., Aphasia) and developmental disorders (Williams Syndrome). This dissociation argues against a simple continuity view of language interpretation.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-4330886
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2015
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-43308862015-03-04 Figurative language processing in atypical populations: the ASD perspective Vulchanova, Mila Saldaña, David Chahboun, Sobh Vulchanov, Valentin Front Hum Neurosci Neuroscience This paper is intended to provide a critical overview of experimental and clinical research documenting problems in figurative language processing in atypical populations with a focus on the Autistic Spectrum. Research in the comprehension and processing of figurative language in autism invariably documents problems in this area. The greater paradox is that even at the higher end of the spectrum or in the cases of linguistically talented individuals with Asperger syndrome, where structural language competence is intact, problems with extended language persist. If we assume that figurative and extended uses of language essentially depend on the perception and processing of more concrete core concepts and phenomena, the commonly observed failure in atypical populations to understand figurative language remains a puzzle. Various accounts have been offered to explain this issue, ranging from linking potential failure directly to overall structural language competence (Norbury, 2005; Brock et al., 2008) to right-hemispheric involvement (Gold and Faust, 2010). We argue that the dissociation between structural language and figurative language competence in autism should be sought in more general cognitive mechanisms and traits in the autistic phenotype (e.g., in terms of weak central coherence, Vulchanova et al., 2012b), as well as failure at on-line semantic integration with increased complexity and diversity of the stimuli (Coulson and Van Petten, 2002). This perspective is even more compelling in light of similar problems in a number of conditions, including both acquired (e.g., Aphasia) and developmental disorders (Williams Syndrome). This dissociation argues against a simple continuity view of language interpretation. Frontiers Media S.A. 2015-02-17 /pmc/articles/PMC4330886/ /pubmed/25741261 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00024 Text en Copyright © 2015 Vulchanova, Saldaña, Chahboun and Vulchanov. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution and reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
spellingShingle Neuroscience
Vulchanova, Mila
Saldaña, David
Chahboun, Sobh
Vulchanov, Valentin
Figurative language processing in atypical populations: the ASD perspective
title Figurative language processing in atypical populations: the ASD perspective
title_full Figurative language processing in atypical populations: the ASD perspective
title_fullStr Figurative language processing in atypical populations: the ASD perspective
title_full_unstemmed Figurative language processing in atypical populations: the ASD perspective
title_short Figurative language processing in atypical populations: the ASD perspective
title_sort figurative language processing in atypical populations: the asd perspective
topic Neuroscience
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4330886/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25741261
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00024
work_keys_str_mv AT vulchanovamila figurativelanguageprocessinginatypicalpopulationstheasdperspective
AT saldanadavid figurativelanguageprocessinginatypicalpopulationstheasdperspective
AT chahbounsobh figurativelanguageprocessinginatypicalpopulationstheasdperspective
AT vulchanovvalentin figurativelanguageprocessinginatypicalpopulationstheasdperspective