Multimodal Parent-child Interactions in Autism: What Can We Learn from Them?

Abstract

Purpose: Exploring the multimodal communicative features in autistic parent-child interactions. Methods: Based on Sigrid Norris’multimodal interaction theory, editing and annotating parent-child interactions in five autism-related documentaries, this study analyzed the modality configurations and structural relationships of individuals with autism in parent-child interactions. Results: It was found that children with autism use more nonverbal than verbal modalities in parent-child interactions and they are capable of selecting distinct modalities and modal structures for communication purposes. In addition, autistic children are prone to articulate their thoughts, attitudes, and emotions in parent-child interactions. Conclusion: These data reveal that we can foster deeper cognitive skills of autistic children, such as identity and emotional awareness in parent-child interactions and consider the communicative behaviors of autistic people through a differential rather than a defective perspective.