A Sheffield Hallam University Thesis
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A treatise on language methods and language-games in autism CHOWN, Nick Available from the Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/7164/ A Sheffield Hallam University thesis This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Please visit http://shura.shu.ac.uk/7164/ and http://shura.shu.ac.uk/information.html for further details about copyright and re-use permissions. Sheffield Hallam University Learning and Information Services Adsetts Centre, City Campus Sheffield S1 1WD 102 105 874 2 Sheffield Hallam University und information Services Centra. City C SffipUS tW i? REFERENCE A TREATISE ON LANGUAGE METHODS AND LANGUAGE-GAMES IN AUTISM By NICHOLAS PAUL CHOWN A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Sheffield Hallam University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy October 2012 ABSTRACT A TREATISE ON LANGUAGE METHODS AND LANGUAGE-GAMES IN AUTISM Although it is generally understood that autism is a developmental disability affecting social learning, my social constructionist perspective suggested to me that, strangely, current theories aimed at explaining the nature of autism appeared not to fully reflect the essential social aspects of autism. Given that typically developing human beings become fully socialised through learning a first language, it appeared to me that autism research has, especially of late, failed to give sufficient attention to language despite Kanner’s advice. In researching this thesis I have sought to make a contribution to knowledge of my subject by: (1) developing a synthesis of current knowledge of autistic language methods as a practical framework to guide future research focused on language in autism; (2) critiquing ‘established’ autism theory; (3) drawing attention to Ludwig Wittgenstein’s neglected contributions to the philosophy of mind; and (4) reviewing the contribution of ‘alternative’ theory, including Wittgenstein’s criteriological theory, to an understanding of autism. My research has involved reviewing: (a) the literature on autistic language methods; (b) Conversation Analysis of autistic conversation; (c) narrative writing by authors diagnosed or retrospectively diagnosed with autism; and (d) existing autism theory. I conclude that there are specific features of talk and writing that reflect autism with some features of autistic writing being a ‘mirror image’ of features of autistic talk. A further, important, conclusion is that there are strengths as well as weaknesses associated with autistic talk and writing i.e., from a linguistic stance, it is wrong to regard autism as a disability; rather, it involves a different way of communicating - both verbally and in writing - than is seen in typically developing people. I also conclude that alternative theory has much to contribute to an understanding of autism, and that the atypical nature of autistic social development results in autistic people failing to fully come to terms with language-games. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Most of all I want to express my appreciation for the support and guidance I have received from Luke Beardon - who has supervised me throughout my postgraduate studies - but whose in-depth understanding of Asperger syndrome has made this intellectual journey the positive pleasure that my compulsory education, unfortunately, never was (or could be), and who, more importantly, has an empathetic understanding of me and my learning style. I would also like to thank Paul Garland whose superb leadership of the Sheffield Hallam EdD programme more than justified my initial decision to choose the EdD over the PhD to obtain the benefit of the training in scholarship and research that the former provides. I must also thank all the members of the EdD Cohort 6 (2009/10) whose contributions to the taught sessions helped make them such a formative and valuable experience for me. In particular, I wish to acknowledge the other two members of the cohort working on disability related topics - Sandra Ellis (autism) and Steve Campbell (dyslexia) - who have been a great help. And without the encouragement of my wife, Sharon Chown, whose support for my career and studies has been constant and unconditional, I could not have completed this thesis but, more importantly, would not have even considered myself capable of studying at this level. I should also thank the Metropolitan Police Service whose funding for my Post Graduate Certificate in Asperger Syndrome and Masters in Autism led to a career in autism. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. Introduction.................................................................................................................1-17 (i). The genesis of this thesis........................................... 4-9 (ii). My position on autism terminology................................................................9-12 (iii). Is autism a ‘difference’ or a ‘disability?..................................................... 12-17 (iv). My primary areas of interest reflect gaps in current research....................17-19 II. Philosophy and methodology.................................................................................20-44 (i). But should we theorise autism ?...................................................................... 23-26 (ii). Introducing my philosophical and methodological influences..................27-29 (iii). Mead and Blumer’s symbolic interactionism.............................................29-38 (iv). Symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, grounded theory, and Wittgenstein....................................................................................................38-42 (v). Ethnomethodology and autism......................................................................42-44 III. A linguistic basis for an understanding of autism...............................................45-79 (i). Wittgensteinian language-games...................................................................46-50 (ii). Habermas on language games....................................................................... 50-53 (iii). Double contingency and triple contingency...............................................53-56 (iv). The habitus and the Background..................................................................56-66 (v). Wittgensteinian grammatical investigations.................................................66-67 (vi). Ethnomethodology and autism (continued)................................................67-79 IV. My approach to researching autistic language methods.................................... 80-90 (i). Conversation analysis and autism..................................................................81-83 (ii). Listening to (and reading) the autistic voice................................................83-85 (iii). Narrative analysis and autism...................................................................... 85-87 (iv). The research questions..................................................................................87-90 V. Review of published autistic talk-in-interaction................................................91-120 (i). The interactional significance of formulas in autistic language.................. 95-96 (ii). Structural patterns in conversations with a woman who has autism..........96-97 (iii). Echolalia in autism (with a particular focus on delayed echoing)..........97-101 (iv). Autism and the social world: an anthropological perspective............... 101-103 (v). A conversation analysis of interactions with a child with autism..........103-105 (vi). Discovering communicative competencies in a non-speaking child with autism....................................................................................... 105-106 (vii). Language, autism, and childhood: An ethnographic perspective........106-108 (viii). The design, delivery, and placement of delayed echolalic utterances by a child with an autistic spectrum disorder.....................107-108 (ix). Intersubjectivity and progressivity in the communication of a child with autism..................................................................................................108-110 (x). Prosody as an interactional resource: A clinical linguistic perspective................................................................................................... 110-111 v (xi). Inflexibility as an interactional phenomenon: Using Conversation Analysis to re-examine a symptom of autism.........................................111-113 (xii). Managing interaction...............................................................................113-115 (xiii). Studying misunderstanding and repair in adult-child interactions......115-116 (xiv). Construction of rules, accountability and moral identity in high-functioning children with autism................................................. 116-118 (xv). How children with autism respond to questions............................................ 118 (xvi). Conclusions..............................................................................................118-120 iv VI. Review of published autistic narrative writing..............................................122-161 (i). Features of autistic w riting.........................................................................128-131