A study was carried out to examine the interaction between music and language in learning and recall in children with autism spectrum condition (ASC). The research comprised initial interviews (N=12), a questionnaire (N=320), and a comparative intervention with children with ASC (N=24), and a comparison group of neurotypical individuals (N=32). Results from the questionnaire showed that, in the view of parents and teachers, there was a high prevalence of singing amongst children with ASC, especially in those with language delay. Furthermore, in the view of parents and teachers, music was more likely to enhance relationships for children with some language delay (as opposed to children who were non-verbal and children with age- appropriate speech). In the practical phase of the study, where children were asked to learn and subsequently recall both spoken and sung material, it was found that singing as opposed to speaking could enhance verbal recall for some children with ASC - particularly those with some language delay. With regard to the effects of language on melodic recall, for children with the lowest levels of musical development, the presence of language had a positive effect, but as the level of children’s musical development increased, the impact of language on melodic recall diminished. With regard to the comparison group, for children at Key Stage 1 (5-7 year olds), music had a positive effect on verbal recall in the long term, but for children at Key Stage 2 (8 -11 year olds), music had a negative effect, although this may have been due to external factors.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Carleton University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 184-193). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

[pt] Este estudo tem como foco habilidades linguísticas de crianças pré-escolares no espectro autista. Os objetivos foram identificar e avaliar o tratamento dado à linguagem nas abordagens terapêuticas para o Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA) mais utilizadas na prática fonoaudiológica, em amostra coletada no Rio de Janeiro; e propor um instrumento de avaliação de habilidades linguísticas de préescolares com TEA, visando a rastrear dificuldades gramaticais no desempenho de tarefas de compreensão. O instrumento desenvolvido visa a avaliar aspectos sintáticos (sentenças simples variando quanto a transitividade e tempo/aspecto verbal; sentenças interrogativas e relativas, sentenças coordenadas), morfossintáticos (gênero e número gramatical) e pertinentes à interface sintaxesemântica (pronomes reflexivos e referenciais). Sentenças com reversibilidade temática são incluídas visando a dar seguimento à avaliação das crianças cujo desempenho não revelou dificuldades com sentenças irreversíveis. Metodologia psicolinguística que explora o direcionamento do olhar da criança foi adaptada para adequar as tarefas propostas ao ambiente terapêutico fonoaudiológico. Um estudopiloto conduzido com 12 crianças com TEA é relatado. 3 grupos foram caracterizados com base na produção linguística oral demonstrada em sessões clínicas - da mais desenvolvida (grupo 1) à menos desenvolvida (grupo 3). Os resultados são compatíveis com a literatura que distingue crianças no espectro autista como ALN (Language Normal) e ALI (Language Impaired). Dificuldades em todos os aspectos investigados foram identificadas nas crianças com baixa produção. Contudo, as crianças de todos os grupos revelam dificuldades na interface sintaxe-semântica e no número gramatical. Crianças do grupo intermediário apresentam maior dificuldade em sentenças complexas e sentenças reversíveis. / [en] This study focuses on the linguistic abilities of preschool children in the autistic spectrum. The objectives were to identify and evaluate the approaches to language in the most frequently used therapeutic approaches for ASD in the speech therapy practice, in a sample collected in Rio de Janeiro, and to propose an instrument to assess ADS children s language skills, by tracking specific difficulties in comprehension tasks. The instrument aims to evaluate syntactic structures (simple sentences varying in transitivity and tense/aspect of the verb; interrogative sentences; coordinate sentences; completive clauses; and relative clauses), morphosyntactic distinctions (gender and grammatical number) and aspects pertaining to the syntax-semantic interface (reflexive and referential pronouns), by avoiding the cost of thematic reversibility. In addition, reversible sentences were included to continue the evaluation of children whose performance on irreversible sentences did not present difficulties. A pilot study was developed with 12 autistic children. 3 groups were characterized based on their oral linguistic performance in speech therapy sections, from the less developed (group 1) to the most developed ones (group 3). The results are in line with the literature that distinguishes ALN (language normal) and ALI (language impaired) ASD children. Difficulties in all aspects investigated were identified in children with low production. However, children from all groups revealed difficulties in the syntax-semantic interface and in grammatical number. Children in the intermediate group had greater difficulty in complex sentences and reversible sentences.