Targeting prosody in an eight-year-old child with high-functioning autism during an interactive approach to therapy

Abstract

A fundamental deficit in children with high-functioning autism (HFA) is social communicative competence. Atypical prosody in variable forms has been implicated in contributing to this deficit. The purpose of this case study was to describe the clinical management of an eight-year-old child with HFA for whom prosody became the primary target of intervention. Procedures for prosodic analysis, the course of intervention and subsequent changes in the child's prosodic behaviour are explained.