Phenomenology and language in autism: A study of two cases of high-functioning ASD treated with the c.m.i.® (cognitive-motivational-individualised) approach
Ettore Caterino, Maria Luisa Gava, Lucia Billeci, Alessandro Tonacci
This article aims to evaluate the process in which two girls with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders elaborate their experiences of daily life and the ways in which these experiences are communicated in relationships. By applying M.L. Gava’s c.m.i.® methodology (building domestic procedures and re-elaborating experiences through pictures or the use of icons made by the children), a change in communicative and interactive competences was observed, moving from a condition of spontaneity to one in which the girls were engaged in relating their experiences to a parent. The recording of autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation parameters highlights how in communicating their own experiences they achieve a state of cognitive activation which enables greater communicative and emotional connection with the interlocutor.
Keywords
High-functioning autism, language, experience, redescription, communication.