Abstract
The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that individuals with higher Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) scores would be more permissive of pragmatic impairments than those with lower AQ scores. We investigated the presence of a correlation between the AQ scores of mothers with children in grades 1 to 6 and their evaluation of assumed pragmatic impairments in children using the Maternal Evaluation of Pragmatic Impairments in Children (MEPC) measure. Mothers were asked to rate how they would feel if their child showed the communication behaviors listed in scales D (coherence), E (inappropriate initiation), F (stereotyped language), G (use of context), and H (nonverbal communication) of the Children’s Communication Checklist-2, which measures pragmatic impairments. All responses were given on a five-point Likert scale. The results indicated that the higher the maternal AQ score, the less the mother tended to evaluate pragmatic impairments as a problem. We also examined whether the age and gender of assumed children influenced the correlation between AQ and MEPC scores, but found no significant correlation. The partial correlation coefficients were calculated for each subscale, none of which was significant. A negative correlation was found between AQ and MEPC scores as a whole.
Highlights
Pragmatics relates to the ability to use language for communication
The results of the present study suggest that higher maternal Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) scores among mothers predict a greater degree of permissiveness to pragmatic impairments; that is, the broad autism phenotype (BAP) implied lower Maternal Evaluation of Pragmatic Impairments in Children (MEPC) scores
This viewpoint is in agreement with previous research by Komeda et al [13], who reported that higher AQ scores in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) individuals were significantly correlated with greater activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) while judging characters with ASD traits, meaning that individuals with a high level of ASD traits tend to empathize with similar others
Summary
Pragmatics relates to the ability to use language for communication. It is generally agreed that difficulties in the domain of pragmatics are a universal feature of autism [1]. It is widely reported that even the most verbally capable autistic individuals fail to understand non-literal speech such as sarcasm, joking, and metaphorical expressions [2]. Higher maternal AQ score predicts weaker tendency to see pragmatic impairments as a problem decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
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