A Cognitive-Based Intervention for Enhancing Pragmatic and Inferential Reading Processing for HFASD Young Adults: A Study Proposal

While individuals with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HFASD) often demonstrate adequate decoding skills, they frequently encounter difficulties with pragmatics, inferencing skills, and reading comprehension, highlighting the need for targeted interventions. This two-phase study investigates a comprehensive skill set of pragmatic and inferential processing and underlying mechanisms in reading for young adults with HFASD, and develops a tailored cognitive intervention to address identified challenges. Phase one will explore these difficulties by collecting both offline and online data. Offline data will be gathered using a purposefully developed Pragmatic and Inferential Reading Assessment (PIRA), while online data will be collected via eye-tracking to examine real-time reading processes. Additionally, HFASD will complete assessments of Theory of Mind (ToM), Working Memory (WM), Central Coherence (CC), and Inhibitory Control (IC) to investigate the cognitive mechanisms underlying pragmatic and inferential reading comprehension; HFASD performance will be compared to another group of individuals with sub-autistic traits (IWS-AT) to offer insight into the relationship between symptom severity and the identified challenges. Based on the findings of phase one, phase two will involve the development and implementation of a cognitive-based language intervention incorporating computerized gamified activities. The intervention's effectiveness on pragmatic and inferential reading skills for HFASD compared to IWS-AT and controls will be evaluated to assess both within-group and between-group changes. It is speculated that the developed cognitive-based intervention will have the potential to enhance pragmatic and inferential reading processing, offering substantial benefits to educational and therapeutic practices.