The acquisition of the Arabic construct state (CS) constructions by Arabic-speaking children with ASD
ISSN: 2056-3868
Article publication date: 29 May 2019
Issue publication date: 30 August 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether age plays a role in the acquisition of construct state (CS) constructions in Arabic by 14 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It also examined the challenges faced by children with ASD in producing different types of CS constructions. Finally, the study analysed the sources of difficulties children with ASD encounter during the learning process of the CS.
Design/methodology/approach
For the purposes of this study, the participants were asked to orally complete short sentences with the help of illustrative pictures.
Findings
Results revealed that the age of the 14 children with ASD plays a role in the acquisition of CS constructions. Children of age 12–15 performed better than those of age 8 and 10. Results also showed that children with ASD performed better in producing phrases rather than compounds. Moreover, the participants performed better on endocentric compounds as opposed to exocentric ones. Finally, analysing the errors produced on the text revealed that the acquisition of head direction precedes definiteness.
Originality/value
The topic of the study has not been investigated yet and the study concluded with some important findings concerning teaching Arabic CS to children with ADS.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers and the editor-in-chief of Advances in Autism journal for their useful comments on an earlier draft of the paper. The authors would also like to thank the members of staff and participants of Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, for their full co-operation. All remaining errors and inaccuracies are, of course, of authors’ alone.
Citation
Altakhaineh, A.R.M. and Alkhatib, R.N. (2019), "The acquisition of the Arabic construct state (CS) constructions by Arabic-speaking children with ASD", Advances in Autism, Vol. 5 No. 4, pp. 255-267. https://doi.org/10.1108/AIA-01-2019-0003
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited