I bambini con una sintomatologia che rientra nei Disturbi dello Spettro Autistico (DSA o, in inglese, ASD, Autistic Spectrum Disorders), includono una serie di patologie o sindromi aventi come denominatore comune un disturbo del neurosviluppo caratterizzato dalla compromissione dell’interazione sociale e da deficit della comunicazione verbale e non verbale che provoca ristrettezza d’interessi e comportamenti ripetitivi, possono beneficiare della Lettura Dialogica. Numerosi studi di carattere scientifico indicano infatti l’impatto positivo della Lettura Dialogica in bambini autistici e che rientrano nei Disturbi dello Spettro Autistico.

Il Disturbo Autistico (o Autismo) è uno dei Disturbi Pervasivi dello Sviluppo che si manifesta con un totale distacco della persona rispetto agli altri. Il disturbo è evidente già nei primi mesi di vita.
Il bambino non cerca le attenzioni della madre e non risponde a quelle dei genitori, né agli stimoli verbali né allo sguardo, è indifferente al contatto fisico e spesso non riesce a stare in braccio.
Crescendo continua a non manifestare interesse per gli altri o per le cose, è ripetitivo nei gesti e nel parlare; è abitudinario, al punto tale da avere eccessive reazioni negative di fronte ai cambiamenti.
Si esprime con difficoltà ed ha scarsa capacità di comprensione dei doppi sensi, dell’ironia, dei sentimenti altrui.

Nella loro ricerca su “Una sessione di lettura dialogica adattata per bambini in età prescolare con disturbo dello spettro autistico” del 2016 Veronica P. Fleury, PhD e Ilene S. Schwartz, PhD, hanno esaminato l’effetto di una sessione di Lettura Dialogica adattata alle capacità di partecipazione verbale e sviluppo del vocabolario in bambini in età prescolare con disturbo dello spettro autistico (ASD). La lettura di libri tradizionale ha comportato livelli costantemente bassi di partecipazione verbale in contrapposizione a un aumento significativo della partecipazione verbale durante le sessioni di Lettura Dialogica. La Lettura Dialogica ha anche portato a maggiori guadagni nel vocabolario specifico dei bambini, rispetto alle sessioni di lettura tradizionale (l’adulto legge e il bambino ascolta passivamente). Il miglioramento della partecipazione verbale è stato caratterizzato da risposte più frequenti agli stimoli posti dagli adulti durante la lettura.

Qui di seguito forniamo una lista non esaustiva di alcuni studi recenti, che riguardano l’utilizzo della Lettura Dialogica con bambini affetti dal Disturbi dello Spettro Autistico.

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