Discourse/Conversation Analysis and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Excerpt

Qualitative research focused on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is important, as it can refine understandings of particular issues related to ASD and be practically relevant provided that quality criteria are applied (Bölte 2014). Employing qualitative methods for the study of ASD is an important way of giving a ‘voice’ to participants and can be particularly useful for empowering vulnerable or disadvantaged people groups (Peters 2010). The field of mental health and disability generally is one that is mediated through language (Brown et al. 1996) and qualitative methods tend to focus on language use, specifically those using discourse or conversation analysis approaches. Quantitative evidence, whatever its form, provides important and valuable evidence about ASD. However, it is crucial that the field does not solely rely on a relatively narrow range of methodologies and forms of knowledge to inform us about such a complex and diverse condition. Qualitative methods are able to go beyond establishing the likelihood of associations between variables, towards understanding the nature of such associations and the complex processes that they may be interpreted to represent. More specifically, qualitative methods are able to go beyond what works to show how and why a particular practice is effective (Rhodes 2011), particularly when taking into account established quality criteria. …