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A type of figurative language in which objects or actions are compared in a way that is implied but not literal, such as “She has a heart of gold,” or where one thing is considered as representative of the other as in symbolism (Glucksberg 2001). Typically developing children usually begin to understand and produce simple metaphors as early as 2 years of age and progress to more advanced comparisons with age, showing significant improvements around age 4–5 years and continuing to develop these skills into adulthood (Stites and Ozcaliskan 2012). Children with autism demonstrate poorer comprehension of figurative language than their typically developing peers (Kalandadze et al. 2016).
Two theories are proposed to explain difficulties in interpreting figurative language in individuals with autism. The first theory suggests that this is due to a cognitive deficit in “theory of mind,” or the ability to attribute mental states to self and to others,...
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References and Reading
Glucksberg, S. (2001). Understanding figurative language: From metaphors to idioms. New York: Oxford University Press.
Happe, F. G. (1995). Understanding mind and metaphors: Insights from the study of figurative language in autism. Metaphor and Symbol, 10(4), 275–295.
Kalandadze, T., Norbury, C., Naerland, T., & Naess, K.-A. B. (2016). Figurative language comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analytic review. Autism, 22(2), 99–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361316668652.
Stites, L. J., & Ozcaliskan, S. (2012). Developmental changes in children’s comprehension and explanation of spatial metaphors for time. Journal of Child Language, 40(5), 1123–1137. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000912000384.
Whyte, E. M., Nelson, K. E., & Scherf, K. S. (2014). Idiom, syntax, and advanced theory of mind abilities in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 57(1), 120–130. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388.
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Lewis, L.F. (2018). Definition: Metaphor. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102253-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102253-1
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Definition: Metaphor- Published:
- 03 May 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102253-2
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Definition: Metaphor- Published:
- 30 March 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102253-1