Micro- and Macro-Structures in the Retold Narratives with Script and Non-Script: The Case of Persian-Speaking Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Producing cohesive and coherent stories by children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a challenging issue. However, the differences between the stories retold by children with and without ASD may decrease by reducing cognitive and linguistic needs. The present study intended to determine whether the use of scripts that organize stories around shared events can lead to a decrease in children’s problems of narrative retelling. To achieve this goal, the abilities of 19 children with ASD and 26 healthy children in retelling two stories with and without a script were evaluated. The stories were coded in terms of micro- and macro-structures and types of events with and without a script. The findings showed that the performance of the ASD children compared to the healthy ones was significantly weaker in retelling the stories with and without the script in terms of micro- and macro-structures. In general, the stories retold by the children with ASD compared to the healthy children were less cohesive and coherent. The full-scale IQ determined cohesion and coherence of the story retold by the ASD children. In addition, the study of the story with the script showed that the amount of details related to the script performed by children with ASD was comparable to that of the healthy children. However, the use of details without the script by the ASD children compared to the healthy ones was higher. The results of the research revealed that impairment in story narration might be present across narrative types.