The present research investigated whether Japanese children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) show sensitivity to the discourse pragmatic constraints of the Preferred Argument Structure (PAS) proposed by Du Bois (1987). Verb argument omissions and lexicalizations in the spontaneous speech of 2 children with autism spectrum disorders (a boy 5 years 2 months old, and a girl 6 years 1 month old) and 2 typically developing (TD) children (a boy 2 years 8 months old, and a girl 2 years 9 months old) were analyzed. The children were matched on language development level. Each verb argument was coded for grammatical category (intransitive or transitive subject / object), the form of the argument (null, pronoun, or lexical), and the distinction of the referent (given or new). In addition, non-linguistic pragmatic information (e.g., pointing or gazing in the direction of the intended referent) was analyzed. The results revealed that both the children with autism spectrum disorders and the typically developing children showed linguistic patterns consistent with the constraints of the Preferred Argument Structure, suggesting that the children with autism spectrum disorders were sensitive to discourse pragmatic constraints in language in a way similar to the typically developing children. However, when pronouns were used, the children with autism spectrum disorders used significantly less non-linguistic pragmatic information than the typically developing children did, suggesting that, unlike the typically developing children, these children with autism spectrum disorders did not use pronouns effectively to specify intended referents. This finding is consistent with the view that ineffective use of non-linguistic pragmatic information by children with autism spectrum disorders may be one cause of their poor pragmatic abilities. In order to develop ways to support children with autism spectrum disorders to expand their communication abilities, future research should investigate how their ineffective use of non-linguistic pragmatic information is related to the feature of pragmatic abilities observed in children with autism spectrum disorders.

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The purposes of the present study were to examine the life situation of 57 graduates (present age 19-35 years, average 26.1 years) of special schools for children and youth with physical disabilities who had been educated mainly with jiritsu katsudo, which is a specialized area in the national curriculum for special schools that has the objective of teaching students with disabilities to respect basic human behavior, and to analyze their parents' evaluation of the graduates' education. The results of the survey suggested that the activities of daily living (ADL) of the graduates had changed little since their graduation. However, their motor abilities and outside interests decreased, perhaps because of their simple life style and the physical weakness of their aging parents. Curriculum that focused on physical aspects was evaluated; a lack of consideration of the students' life after graduation was notable. The results indicated that the parents recognized the importance of education for increasing their sons' and daughters' interests, as well as the power that the students associated with their teachers.

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Some individuals with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) have perceptual/cognitive characteristics that are superior to those of typically developing individuals (TD). In particular, the superior local/detail focus of processing by individuals with autistic spectrum disorder may be an adaptive mechanism for managing what is for them an overabundance of visual information, although there is also a possibility that this local focus may be disadvantageous in social interactions. Based on a review of a large number of findings of recent studies, the present article describes some compensatory abilities and suggests directions for special educational support for individuals with autistic spectrum disorder. The findings of the present review suggest that local and global processing by individuals with autistic spectrum disorder may be independent mechanisms. Support that encourages local processing is not likely to interfere with their social abilities. Rather, people supporting individuals with autistic spectrum disorder should attend to the adaptive aspects of local processing. In addition, it is important to cope with the difficulty that individuals with autistic spectrum disorder have in switching their attention from a local to a global level. Social interactions using imitation may be one of the most effective components of early intervention.

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The present study reports treatment of a 15-year-old male with a head injury caused by a traffic accident; the Dohsa method was used for 6 days in a psycho-rehabilitation camp. The youth had motor and sensory disorders, as well as strong impulsive behavior toward others. After a gravity-control task had been used when he was in standing and kneeling positions, he was able to regain his sense of control of his own body. He became able to move his back smoothly and to stabilize his standing posture. After this, he made progress, concentrating on the tasks, and his impulsive behavior gradually decreased. It appeared that his attention to his body contributed to his awareness of his impulses.

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In the present study, a collaborative approach involving consultation tools (Okamoto & Isawa, 2013; in Japanese) was used with a boy with a developmental disability and behavior problems. The boy was a 6th grader in an elementary school for children with special needs. Teachers at the school and his mother were included in the collaboration. One purpose of the present study was to investigate whether supplying effective support for his family through the collaborative approach using 4 types of consultation tools and related documents would be followed by reduction in the boy's behavior problems. Another purpose was to investigate whether his mother would continue to support him after the collaborative approach ended. Tool #1 was used to select 2 behavior problems, and tools #2, #3, and #4 were used to determine the procedures. The collaborative approach period lasted for approximately 8 months; information was obtained from the mother for 2 months after that. The results were as follows: According to each procedure, the boy's behavior problems decreased when effective support was provided in the family context. Even though his mother stopped recording his behavior problems after the collaborative approach ended, she continued to support her son. These results suggest that the conference tools contributed to designing supports that fit the boy's family context, and that the collaborative approach supported the mother's behavior and her exchange with the boy's teachers.

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The present research focused on the results of teaching communication to a youth with a developmental disability and a communication disability (male, 14 years 5 months old at the start of the study). Study 1 examined whether an increase in his everyday communication would occur if he used language relating to photography. The method of operation of a digital camera was demonstrated to the boy, and he took casual photographs. He then used language relating to photography. Study 2 examined whether his communication pattern could be clarified with a structured test. The teacher said, "Please go to see and report on 'the thing' at 'this place'." In study 2, a probe was replaced every time the sign language teacher and the other teachers were unfamiliar with the sign language that the listener used. The boy then used language more extensively, including in novel situations and with unfamiliar listeners. These results suggest that the photography instruction in Study 1 resulted in the expansion of the boy's communication.

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