Literature as a tool of awareness: Traits of autism spectrum disorders for students in ESP class

Abstract

The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in children is increasing from year to year worldwide. People suffering from this disease experience the feelings of otherness and isolation, even social exclusion. To raise awareness to this problem, every year a World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated on April 2. This paper will focus on the personality pervasiveness of ASD as depicted in the widely acclaimed novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” (2003) by Mark Haddon. The book, a detective story, which centers around the adventures of a teenage boy who suffers from many behavioral traits typical of ASD, can serve as a tool for teaching ASD behavior to the future experts in pedagogy and special needs assistants, who provide professional advice. It also provides a comprehensive lesson plan in ESP class with several tasks which build upon the means of critical thinking on the topic.