Telepractice for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Assessment (E-ABaCo) and online training (@ -CPT) of pragmatic communication skills.

Name: Ilaria

Surname: Traetta

Tutor (surname): Bosco

website: https://www.dippsicologia.unito.it/do/gruppi.pl/Show?_id=za8x

My PhD project aims to develop and validate an innovative assessment tool and rehabilitative program that can be used in investigating the social communicative difficulties experienced by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social communication, repetitive behaviors and restrictive interests (APA, 2013).

Social communication includes pragmatics, the ability to use appropriately linguistic and extralinguistic expressive means in a given context along with paralinguistic cues (Bara, 2010). Pragmatics is linked to other cognitive abilities, such as Executive Functions (Miyake et al., 2000) and Theory of Mind (Premack & Woodruff, 1978). Despite the evidence of pragmatic difficulties in ASD, no many rehabilitation  programs, specifically developed for adolescents with ASD have been developed.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused many negative effects that have been felt more acutely by people with disabilities. It has increased social isolation and reduced the availability of welfare services, diagnostic and treatment programs. On the other hand, the pandemic has led to a rapid increase in digitalization in various fields. This is the case of telehealth and telepractice, terms that refer to the application of communication technologies (computerized videoconferencing software and Internet) in health contexts.

The aims of the project are: (I) Adapting ABaCo for use in telepractice, based on the Assessment Battery for Communication (ABaCo, Angeleri et al., 2015, Giunti), a validated tool for pragmatic assessment, and (II) Using it to assess the pragmatic profile of adolescents with ASD. (III) Adapting the Cognitive Pragmatic Treatment (A- CPT; Gabbatore et al., 2021) for use in telepractice (@- CPT) and (IV) Evaluating the effectiveness of @- CPT in adolescents with ASD.

This project adhere to the innovative set of needs and opportunities provided by the digitalization, in line with National Plan for Research PNR 2021-27.