Study of Pragmatic Skills of Persian-speaking Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder Based on the Persian Version of Montreal Protocol for the Evaluation of Communication (P.M.E.C.).

Abstract

Background: Various studies have shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience significant cognitive impairments during childhood. Individuals often experience various language disorders that can manifest in different ways. There are also studies indicating that these impairments persist into adulthood for individuals with ASD. This study aimed to evaluate and identify cognitive impairments among Persian-speaking adults with ASD.

Methods: This research is of a quantitative nature and has been conducted using an experimental method in which two subtests from the Persian Version of the Montreal Protocol for the Evaluation of Communication (P.M.E.C.), including the Metaphor Interpretation and Speech Act Interpretation subtests, were utilized. Thirteen Persian-speaking men with ASD participated in this research, with ages ranging from 25 to 44 years (mean age 32.84, standard deviation 4.17), whose educational levels varied from primary school to 20 years of formal education. The control group consisted of 26 healthy Persian-speaking men who were matched in terms of age and educational level with the ASD group. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and a paired t-test were used to compare the two groups.

Results: The results indicated that the ASD group performed significantly poorer in both the Metaphor Interpretation subtest (P < 0.001) and the Speech Act Interpretation subtest (P = 0.033) compared to the healthy control group, suggesting cognitive impairments in their abilities.

Conclusion: The findings of this research can be valuable for assessment and intervention purposes in rehabilitation centers, as well as in academic and research settings.