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Cited by 302Child and Animal Learning DevelopmentLanguage, Metaphor, and CognitionAutism Spectrum Disorder Research

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 63 of the 65 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Understanding Minds and Metaphors: Insights from the Study of Figurative Language in Autism

Happé, Francesca G.E.·1995·Metaphor and Symbolic Activity
DOI 10.1207/s15327868ms1004_3
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Abstract

This article reviews recent work on autistic individuals' understanding of figurative language. One currently influential theory of autism proposes that the key impairments in imagination, socialization, and communication spring from a fundamental deficit in "theory of mind"--the ability to attribute mental states to self and to others. Autism, then, presents a fascinating test case for theories such as Sperber and Wilson's (1986) relevance theory, which claims a crucial role for the understanding of intentions in everyday communication. In this article, I present evidence that understanding of simile, metaphor, and irony by children with autism is closely related to their level of theory of mind ability. The case of autism demonstrates the crucial role of the understanding of intentions in normal human communication, both "literal" and figurative.

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Crossref · 10.1207/s15327868ms1004_3

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63 of 63 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Citations

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Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. 10.1037//0012-1649.29.5.832 · DOI
  2. 10.1037//0096-3445.115.1.3 · DOI
  3. Gillberg, C. & Coleman, M. (1992). The biology of the autistic syndromes (2nd ed.).London: Mac Keith Press.
  4. Kanner L., 1943, Nervous Child, 2, 217
  5. 10.1037//0033-295X.94.4.412 · DOI · Paper page
  6. Perner J., 1989, Knowledge, belief, and communication. Child Development, 60, 700
  7. 10.1037//0096-3445.113.1.130 · DOI
  8. Tomasello M., 1992, Social Development, 1, 68

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Metadata

Authors
Happé, F. G. E.
Venue
Metaphor and Symbolic Activity
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
1995-12
Volume
10
Issue
4
Pages
275-295
ISSN
0885-7253 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1207/s15327868ms1004_3
OpenAlex
W2073057017
Cited by
302
References
65
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 14
FWCI
0.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Metaphor and Symbolic Activity (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
  • Social Sciences › Linguistics and Language › Language, Metaphor, and Cognition
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, theory of mind, figurative language, metaphor, simile, irony, relevance theory, intention understanding, children with autism, social cognition

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