Características e especificidades da comunicação social na perturbação do espectro do autismo

Abstract

This article describes and discusses the characteristics of Social Communication in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) based on the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM 5. It highlights, among others, the merger of social interaction and communication and its importance for diagnosis and intervention of children with ASD. It also confronts the different perspectives that underpin arguments and criticisms to the classification proposed by DSM-5. It analyzes the specificity of language, discourse, pragmatics, syntax prosody, morphology and semantics in children with ASD as well as their implications for adaptation and development of their communicative skills. Identifying these skills reinforces the importance of the earliest intervention possible, conducted in the child and family’s natural contexts aiming to enhance involvement levels and participation of the child, promoters of learning opportunities and development of their communicative and social skills.