Avaliação de linguagem e de teoria da mente nos transtornos do espectro do autismo com a aplicação do teste strange stories traduzido e adaptado para a língua portuguesa

• Autor(a) principal: Velloso, Renata de Lima
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações do Mackenzie
• Texto Completo: http://dspace.mackenzie.br/handle/10899/24514
• topic: transtornos do espectro do autismo; linguagem; teoria da mente; autistic spectrum disorders, language, theory of mind; CNPQ::CIENCIAS HUMANAS::PSICOLOGIA

Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) refer to important deficits in social interac-tion, in verbal and nonverbal communication, and in imaginative activities, which are replaced by repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. For several years, researchers have been proposing theories for explaining the primary deficit in the ASD, and cur-rently two theoretical approaches are preponderant: the developmental theory and the cognitive theory. This study has aimed at assessing abilities of language and of a theory of mind in children with ASD and in control children, with the application of the Strange Stories Test translated into Portuguese and adopted for Brazilian culture. Male children with ASD (28) and male control children (56) aged 6 to 12 years old took part in this study. The Brazilian version of the Strange Stories Test was applied following the same procedures to both experimental and control groups. Findings evidenced significant differences between mean scores of the groups in every of the 12 histories composing the test as well as in the sum of mean scores for all histories. Mean scores in all histories were significantly higher in the control group compared to the experimental group (children with ASD). Significant positive correlation was es-tablished between the estimated intelligence quotients and the sum of mean scores in the ASD group, and between the age and the sum of mean scores in the control group. Optimal internal consistence of the protocol was observed (0.955). Results were discussed under developmental and cognitive theories. It is concluded that the abilities of language and of a theory of mind assessed by the Strange Stories Test presented altered in children with ASD compared to children with typical develop-ment.