2021 Volume 24 Issue 1 Pages 93-108
In modern Japanese social culture, individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be ostracised for being uncooperative because they cause problems in interpersonal communication. This paper explores both language use and non-verbal communication of individuals with ASD by employing conversation analysis and the concept of communication ideology. Transcripts from conversation, data relating to the sociocultural context of the participants in conversation and follow-up interviews with participants were analysed. The analysis suggests that: 1) asymmetrical exchanges arise as a consequence of the individual with ASD not orienting to what the interlocutor indexes by her communication behaviours and that this may be impacted by the past communicative experiences of the individual with ASD; 2) participants achieve mutual understanding by interpreting the meaning of the interactions in terms of a common communication ideology. This paper suggests that exploring participants’ background and other macro sociocultural contexts of the participants of an interaction is critical when analysing communication of sociocultural minorities, including individuals with ASD, as well as taking into account the structure of micro-social interaction practices of people with ASD.
