How much do you know about teaching metaphors, satire, and figurative language to children and adolescents with autism?

There is a metaphorical expression that says , “A bed is not a piece of furniture, it is science!”

This is a famous advertisement line, but many people probably know that this sentence does not literally mean that a bed is not furniture.

We call these sentences figurative language. For example , metaphors, proverbs, and satire are examples of figurative language.

Figurative language plays a vital role in everyday communication, but understanding it can be a huge challenge for children and adolescents with autism who take these expressions literally.

 

1. Understand the difficulty

Unlike literal metaphors , figurative language requires the ability to interpret abstract concepts, understand social cues, and interpret the speaker's intentions.

Looking at the study by Lampri et al. (2024), some researchers see a deficit in theory of mind (ToM: the ability to understand other people's thoughts or intentions) as the cause of these problems, while others see a deficit in language ability or executive function (cognitive flexibility, reasoning ability, etc.) as the main cause.

In particular , sarcasm, a form of sarcasm, can be particularly confusing. For example, when someone says, “Wow, that side dish again? I’m so happy!” with a sarcastic expression, a child with autism may genuinely think that the speaker really likes that side dish (Morsanyi et al., 2020).

 

2. The importance of context and social cues

To better understand figurative language, it is important to recognize social cues such as tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language .

A review of the paper by Pexman, Reggin, & Lee (2019) emphasizes that understanding context plays a critical role in processing figurative language.

For example, when someone says, “Wow, it’s Einstein!”, it helps to understand the sentence by looking at the situation in which the person said it, the tone of voice the person uses, and the facial expression they have .

Without these contextual cues, children with autism may take these utterances literally. Looking at these papers, we can see that we need to teach children about language and the context in which it is used.

ABA Approach: Improving Skills Related to Understanding Theory of Mind

It has been shown that teaching children about ToM (theory of mind) can significantly improve their understanding of figurative language in children with autism.

It emphasizes that interventions that focus on understanding perspective differences with others, joint attention, and awareness of social situations are effective. These methods include:

• Task Analysis :

In ABA, the complex process of understanding figurative language is broken down into small steps. For example, learning to interpret swear words involves recognizing tone, understanding context, and understanding the speaker’s intent. Each component is taught step by step through separate discrete trial training (DTT) sessions, and once mastered, the next step is moved on ( Example: Everbloompath’s Task Analysis Lecture ).

 

• Theory of Mind (ToM) Intervention :

ToM interventions aim to teach children with autism that others can have thoughts, beliefs, and intentions that are different from their own. By incorporating role play and perspective-taking exercises into the ABA framework, children can practice understanding multiple perspectives, which is essential for interpreting metaphors and idioms, which are figurative language ( e.g. Everbloom role play cards ).

• Social Situation Story :

Social storytelling provides a context for conversations, helping children understand how figurative language is used in real situations. This makes the learning process more specific and relevant . (Example: Good expressions to teach children! You can turn the expressions below into social storytelling.)

 

<What learning method is right for my child?>

Since which ABA-based strategy to use depends on the child's language development, cognitive development level, and theory of mind development level, it is necessary to consult with a specialist to set goals that are suitable for the child.

Please just take note of this!

• When teaching figurative language, use clear, specific examples and reinforce correct interpretations with praise or rewards.
• Help your children practice figurative language in real-life situations by actively using role play, video modeling, or social storytelling.

Today, we looked at a paper and intervention methods on figurative expressions that occupy a large part of our lives.

With patience, practice, and support at home, I will come back and research other ways to help children become more confident in using language and interacting in society :)

 

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