persuasive speech about autism

• Dr. Engelbrecht ND RP
• Main contact
• Autism strengths
• Autism challenges
• Autism tests
• Autism assessments

United Nations keynote speech on autism

• 1 Transcript
• 2 Timing of video
• 4 References
• 6 Disclaimer

When I started Embrace Autism, I never imagined that I would have the honour to speak at the United Nations. But this year, I was part of World Autism Day at the United Nations.

My keynote speech focused on the consequences of not being diagnosed early in life. My speech starts at 7 minutes and goes to 17 minutes). I have included a transcript below the video.

UN Speech Transcript: Autism, Diagnosis, & Policies

When I was six years old, my best friend asked me, “What’s your favourite colour?” I said, “What’s yours?” She said, “Red.” I said, “Mine, too!”

Then she asked, “What’s your favourite animal?” and I said,  “What’s yours?” She said “A dog”, and I said “Me, too!”

In truth, I was terrified of dogs—cats were my favourite animal, and my favourite colour was actually purple.

My friend became very irritated and said, “Can’t you think for yourself?”

You see, very early on, I had compiled a list of rules for making friends because I don’t have an intuitive sense of how to relate to people, so I followed a set of social rules that I learned through trial and error instead.

But It wasn’t just friends I was having trouble with;

I also had problems at school. My parents were called in many times over the years because I was following the rules far more than other kids. I followed the rules because those were the rules. And I felt proud about how good I was. But I realized that teachers don’t call your parents because everything is going so well—they call when they identify an issue. The issue they identified was that I was following the rules. The issue that I identified was that I had to figure out which rules to follow, and which one’s too not.

In addition, teachers were concerned about some of my other behaviours; for example, as I was saying, I loved the colour purple. When I say I love the colour purple, I mean it was the only colour that I wanted to use. I coloured everything purple; the sun, the grass, the house, the people, everything. The teacher called my parents worried about why I was refusing to colour the sun yellow, which would be age appropriate. Intellectually I knew the sun was yellow, but I was so consumed with the colour purple that I just couldn’t bring myself to make the sun yellow.

So what do these three stories have in common?  They’re all examples of diagnostic criteria of autism.

Hello, and thank you to the committee for this opportunity to address policy change on diagnosing autism.

I am Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht and I am a late-diagnosed  autistic. I am also a registered psychotherapist and a naturopathic doctor from Canada. And I have a practice focused on adult autism assessment, and with other autistics I co-created a free digital resource, a website called Embrace Autism, that is used by medical professionals and people worldwide for information, and advocacy.

The springboard for doing this was that in an attempt to better understand myself, I found there was little information on adult autism. There were a few excellent blogs, but no science-based resources. And I love science, just ask my kids. I recall their little eyes rolling, and them saying “Yes mom” as their dinner discussions would have to be backed up with peer-reviewed evidence. It’s turned out alright, one is a doctor and the other is studying to be a professor of philosophy.

So why was I 46 years old before I got an autism diagnosis?

There are many reasons we don’t get identified. For example:

• Used disease-based language focused on the perceived negative traits of autistics at the exclusion of the strengths. And that’s just not how I saw myself. And that is not how others saw me. I am a professional with 3 degrees, who is married, and has two great kids. And I am a hard-worker. While non-autistics are driven to create social connections, I am driven to pursue my passions, but the diagnostic manuals label my passions as highly restricted— fixated—abnormal. My preference for work over socializing is seen as a deficit in social communication and interaction, and asocial. How would someone else feel if I called their need to socialize abnormal, fixated, rigid? You see, we can pathologize anything that does not fall into the majority.
• A scientific approach to autism should not be so biased toward the negative. Additionally, it should not have judgmental descriptions of neutral characteristics. For example, strong and consistent preferences may be perceived as negative by others, but are not experienced negatively by autistics themselves.
• This stigmatizing language affects how medical professionals view and assess autistics and negatively affects how we see ourselves. Additionally, it can lead to autistic people not identifying as autistic because they don’t resonate with the negative descriptions. Only the people that struggle the most see themselves in those descriptions.
• There are many healthcare professionals that truly want to help autistics, who have spoken to me about their anxiety (lack of confidence) when getting referrals for adult autism diagnosis because they state they have “little to no training in assessing adults.”  And here is some true irony—we are highly drawn to healthcare professions. We are often your doctors, and surgeons, and psychiatrists. But many of us hide it. Research shows that we make better social psychologists because of our ability to systemize human behavior.  Can you imagine what that is like to feel the need to hide who you are, when in fact your traits are actually what allows you to excel?
• And this hiding is called camouflage, we hide our autistic proclivities, and this causes missed diagnosis. Late diagnosis of autism takes a major toll on our mental health. While 9% of the general population struggle with mental illness, 70% of adult autistics are struggling with a co-occurring, major mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance misuse.

Research shows that we are much less likely to develop mental illnesses if we are identified earlier in life.

But outdated concepts of autism are creating barriers to us getting diagnosed. There are a very limited number of clinicians that have training in adult autism assessment. Research shows on average it often takes over 3 years to get a successful diagnosis due to misdiagnosis. Cost can be prohibitive. And it can be geographically impractical or overwhelming for an autistic. Autistics have stated that they would never be able to manage traveling to a different city, booking a hotel, and all the things involved in going to an assessment outside of their city. Research is showing that that is unnecessary—online diagnosis is as least as accurate and far more comfortable.

The health professionals I saw over the years never considered my autism for reasons such as my being female, having friends, making eye contact,  I had good hygiene, I hid anything I felt was different about myself, and I didn’t have an intellectual or language disability. And I had a lot of empathy—to the point that I absorb other people’s emotions—this is a new term in the autism research field empathic attunement in the autism research field.

A better understanding of myself has allowed me to accept myself.  It has helped my loved ones understand me better and increased my overall well-being.

Something I found out recently, that is pretty cool, is that there is a term called Embracing that is now making its way out into the community. It means accepting the core features of autism—without diminishing or compromising our authentic selves.

In conclusion, accurate diagnosis is the leading factor in improving quality of life for autistics, as it provides a framework to understand ourselves, and it would be even better if that framework included our strengths.

It is time for policy on autism diagnosis to be reassessed to reflect the actual needs of autistics. Because autism is not just a word, or a concept, it is who we are.

Timing of video

Policy: Autistic perspectives on Policy and Advocacy

• Charlotte VALEUR: Event moderator
• Luciana VIEGAS (Brazil): Founder Vidas Negras com Deficiência Importam
• Sara ROCHA (Portugal): Co-Founder Associação Portuguesa Voz do Autista
• Tarun PAUL MATHEW (India): Co-author Talking Finger
• Rhys GRIFFEN (USA): Voice actor | Author children’s books
• Karen MURIUKI (Kenya): Consultant Ubongo TV
• 10 min Keynote Dr. Natalie ENGELBRECHT (Canada): Dual-licensed registered naturopathic doctor & psychotherapist ( 7:02)
• Policy panel moderation Alex PEARSON (USA): Industrial-Organizational Psychologist-Practitioner
• Ben VANHOOK (China-USA): Autistic Self-Advocate | Public Speaker | Community Support
• Dr Jenny MAI PHAN (USA): Department of Health & Human Services
• Tyla GRANT (UK): Creative Strategist | Building ALRYT.world
• Pranav Kumar RAJAGOPA (India): Inclusion officer
• Cisco Elizabeth BONKER (USA): CEO Communication4all.com
• 2 min Thank you to all participants and the UN ( 44:13)
• 3 min Closing remarks Charlotte VALEUR (Denmark): Chair Institute of Neurodiversity ION ( 44:23 )

I want to give a huge thank you to the United Nations and Institute Of Neurodiversity for organizing the event and the opportunity to address policy change on adult autism diagnosis.

Related posts

Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht ND RP is a dually licensed naturopathic doctor and registered psychotherapist, and a Canadian leader in trauma, PTSD, and integrative medicine strictly informed by scientific research.

She was diagnosed at 46 , and her autism plays a significant role in who she is as a doctor, and how she interacts with and cares for her patients and clients.

Want to know more about her? Read her About me page.

Let us know what you think!

165 Autism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Struggle with writing a research paper topics on autism? We’ve got your back covered! Below, you will find a list of 147 topics about autism as well as autism research paper examples!

🏆 Best Research Autism Topics & Essay Examples

👍 good autism essay topics, 💡 psychology research autism topics to write about, ⭐ simple & easy autism essay titles, ❓ research questions about autism.

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Autism is a serious disorder that has the potential to disrupt the success of people living with it. This is to mean that the theory of causation regarding autism is not complete as yet.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Child At the moment, M.is more verbal with his parents and siblings and reacts adequately to them, especially in repeated day-to-day situations.
• How Does Having a Child With Autism Affects Parents’ Lifestyle? The creation of a system of psychological, pedagogical and social support can reduce the risk of a complete family life dedication to a child with autism.
• Autism. Child and Family Assessment The other common disorder associated with autism is that of mutism whereby it also lies under the category of speech disorder and in many cases it is difficult to be diagnosed and at the same […]
• Autism: Characteristics, Prevalence and Interventions The symptoms of autism are noticeable in the early years of childhood. Occupational therapy is one of the non-educational interventions used to assist kids with autism.
• “Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family’s Triumph Over Autism” by Catherine Maurice The book was published in 1994, and it was a success as parents of autistic children were waiting for someone to prove that autism was not an incurable disorder.
• Inclusion Curriculum for Children With Autism In the given paper, the issue of children autism, the developmental issues that autism triggers and the educational prospects for children with autism are going to be considered.
• Bright Not Broken: Gifted Kids, ADHD, and Autism It is possible to state that the book provides rather a high-quality review of the issues about the identification, education, and upbringing of the 2e children.
• One-To-One Programs: Supporting Autistic Children The purpose of conducting this essay will be to examine the educational intervention of one-to-one support programs during normal school times within a mainstream classroom and also to discuss the challenges faced by teachers and […]
• Impact of Autism Disorder on Adolescents This essay discusses the impact of autism disorder on adolescents in the community and a nursing intervention that can be used to assist adolescents in becoming prominent society members.
• Progression of Reading Ability in a Child Diagnosed With Autism The battery of assessments and interviews with parents on the participant’s socialization and early reading ability indicates the study applied the Psychometric and Social Contextual approaches.
• Analysis of Behavior of Preschool Age Child With Autism The child’s behavior in the video differs from that of a mentally healthy child, and these differences lie in the child’s other emotional state and degree of interest in talking to people.
• Autism and Disability Advocacy People with autism can contribute to the diversity of disability culture by expanding understanding of what disability is and how it can be accepted.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis According to DSM-5, to fit the diagnostic criteria for ASD, a child must have evident deficits in three major areas of social communication as well as 2 out of the 4 restricted or repetitive behaviors.
• Thinking in Pictures: Autism and Sensory Problems The chapter “The Squeeze Machine: Sensory Problems in Autism” in Grandin’s Thinking in Pictures presents a series of life perspectives of various individuals, including her own, regarding the sensory problems they experienced. They postulated that […]
• Therapeutic Programs for Children With Autism in K-12 Institutions In the paper, the gaps in the research of effective treatments for children with ASD are explored, after which the efficacy of a multi-system aquatic therapy and standardized equine-assisted therapy program is argued.
• Societal Issue Research Project: Autism Spectrum Disorder The first factor is the significant risk that the genetics of siblings who had ASD diagnosis will increase the chance of the disorder.
• Child-Centered Play Therapy and Autism The purpose of the discussed research was to investigate the effects of CCPT on the sample of children with autism, establishing and describing the connection between CCPT and social and emotional growth.
• Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Training Program for Caregivers The latter means that many caregivers take care of children with ASD, hence the importance of equipping them with the necessary skills for effective and smooth parenting and coping with various difficulties.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder’s Impact on Child’s Learning In regards to the public-school setting, standardized testing demands youngsters to grasp and react to spoken as well as written communication at an anticipated pace and level.
• Laboratory Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders The purpose of my study is to discover which of these methods is more accurate, with the reason being the importance of early diagnosis of ASD, which leads to better treatment outcomes.
• Autism and Related Cognitive Concepts It has been suggested that children with autism show a general deficit of cognitive skills in multilevel planning and in the regulation of behavior.
• Bullying and Autism Spectrum Disorder In fact, bullying as a social phenomenon can be characterized as a social and interaction issue; therefore, it is possible to analyze the connection between autism and acts of bullying and inappropriate behavior.
• Face Emotion Recognition in Autism Phenotype One critical aspect of social communication is the capability to apprehend the emotions and intentions of another person. In conclusion, Autism Spectrum Disorder makes the interpretation of facial expressions difficult.
• Misrepresentation of Autism in the ‘Music’ Film While the film was not centered on the topic of autism as its message, the stereotype-heavy portrayal and a lack of research make it a harmful piece of media.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Prevalence and Impact in Society It has therefore been impossible to determine the level of increase in autism cases that is as a result of improved diagnostic measures and that which can be attributed to the real increase in autism […]
• Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnosis, Impact, Treatment The main diagnostic element for ASD is the evidence of difficulties, either in the present or past, which are different across the age groups.
• Autism and Vaccination Refusal Management Among Somalian Parents Somalian parents in their community in Minnesota refuse from their children being vaccinated, as they believe that vaccination causes autism.
• Everyone Has the Power to Effect Positive Change Within the Autism Community This paper presents what is autism, how every one reacts to the problem, what is the difference between the rich and the poor in their response towards the problem.”Autism is one of five developmental disorders […]
• Reducing Off-Task Behaviors Using a Token Economy System in Children With Autism Token economy is a strategy of positive reinforcement that can be provided to children in the form of tokens for completing the assigned tasks.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder: Key Points The requirement to meet these needs is supported by the fact that the rate of students with ASD is high: according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, more than 83 per cent of […]
• “Theoretical Aspects of Autism” by Helen Ratajczak On the whole, it is possible to say that the standards set by Austin Hill cannot be always met, in part because the physiological aspects of this disease have not been fully investigated.
• Dr. Temple Grandin’s Argument on Visual Thinking and Autism A more in-depth analysis of visual activities can reveal the all imagery can be mentally processed and modified by children so that images are rotated and analyzed to make the brain map expand.
• Intellectual Disability: Autism In their adulthood, and because of the communication issues that most individuals with autism tend to have, they will naturally have difficulty in finding and keeping jobs.
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Children With Autism On the positive side, it fastens the production of different types of reactive oxygen used in the body. It is arguable that the size of the samples used in the study was small.
• Analysis of Children Autism in “The Black Balloon” It is imperative to note that Charlie’s emotions are not regulated and as such, manifest in immature behaviors such as flapping of his hands.
• Occupational Therapy for Children With Autism The main reason for the appearance of autism is the disturbance of the development of the patients brain which results in the appearance of various symptoms.
• The Mitochondria and Autism – Results and Main Function The results are important in health because children with autism were more probable to have dysfunctions and abnormalities of the mitochondria such as over replication and deletion of mitochondrial DNA compared to those without the […]
• Autism Etiology, Symptoms, Beliefs, and Management To date, debate on the cause or etiology of autism still remains divided, with extant literature demonstrating that “although many hypotheses have been proposed, a singular or specific combination of causes has yet to be […]
• Quantitative Assessment of Neuromotor Function in Adolescents With High Functioning Autism: Critique The study authors did not give the benefits and/or risks associated with the study participation. The authors indicated that the ZNA was appropriate for collecting the data because it could measure the 11 parameters of […]
• Critical Appraisal on the Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorders on the Family: A Qualitative Study of Mothers’ Perspectives The study researchers established the significance of the study by outlining the social and financial implications of taking care of children with ASD.
• Autism: External Forces, Causes and Treatment The increasing prevalence of Autism in the United States and across the world is attracting great attention from the healthcare sector to design critical programs tailored to stem the disorder in terms of prevention, treatment, […]
• The Importance of Services for Children With Autism The plea of the majority of Americans for the reverse of healthcare budget allocation is well because it is wrong to interfere with services offered to children with autism. With childcare initiative in place, the […]
• Autism: General Information and Treatment She argues that the treatment of autism is through scientific proven medication that aids in controlling aggressive behaviors and that Trisperidone is the commonly used antipsychotic.
• The Issue of Autism: Task-Group Project The role of B.N.in the meeting can be seen as a summarizer, providing a summary of the minutes of the previous meeting.
• Concepts of Autism and Williams Syndrome The disorder manifests itself in the early years of a child’s life, with long-lasting effects that are not curable but controllable and easy to deal with on condition that, the concerned parties take the necessary […]
• Autism Programs to Enhance Students’ Outcomes In addition to social and behavioral challenges, ASD typically hinders a learner’s ability to gain and process the necessary academic information.
• Autism Program’s Impact Across Contexts In other words, a detailed overview of the issues that administrators face when designing the program and which the teachers have to deal with when addressing the needs of children with autism must be carried […]
• Autism: Teaching Plan for Taking All the Features Into Account For the first child, caregiver training was done at child’s bedroom, and for the second child it was done at living room, and for the third child with severe mental retardation it was carried out […]
• Education Considerations for Students With Autism Two articles under consideration consider the opposite views regarding the education of students with autism; on the basis of the information obtained from these articles, it can be stated that none of the perspectives is […]
• Developmental Psychology: Autism and Vaccination Vaccination of infants is widely used today as the pattern of endemic diseases can be explained in terms of interplay of social, physical and biological factors in an area that is conducive to a continuous […]
• Social Work Methods to Treat the Child Who Is Suffering From Autism This is a clear indicator that alcohol intake by the family is costing the members and it is an issue that needs to be looked into.
• Autism and Immunization: Vaccines and the Changing Epidemiology The interest and attention invoked by this paper were largely due to the fact that it appeared to provide a biological means through which MMR vaccine resulted in autism.
• The Autism-Vaccine Debate, Arguments, and Research Autism is defined by the Autism Society of America as ” a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first 3 years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects […]
• Autism Spectrum Disorder and Interventions However, the negative side of it is that such an intervention is limited to those patients who are verbal and have limited vocabulary.
• Autism: Symptoms, Forms, Diagnostic Instruments Autism is basically a developmental disorder of the human brain that its first symptoms are initially manifested in infancy and it follows a steady cause without relapse.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Features in Children One of the causes for the appearance of these issues is an inborn disability that might presuppose the need for specific methods to educate a child and guarantee a chance for integration with society.
• Autism Occurrence by Measles Vaccine Status The organization of information in the text follows a logical format by introducing the background for the vaccine, incorporating the issue of ASD connection, and leading up to the primary research question.
• Parental Report of Vaccine Receipt in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In the introduction, which is the first section, the study’s research problems and their significance to nursing are stated. The discussion section covers how the authors relate the findings to the research objective and the […]
• Teenagers With Autism Disorder Autism is seen as a spectrum disorder since its severity and symptoms vary greatly among affected individuals – from mild and occasional to persistent and interfering with all aspects of life.
• Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorders on Life However, between the ages of two and three, his lack of verbal activity and inability to “echo” simple sounds and syllables were found to be very concerning by the family.
• Autism Should Not Be Viewed as a Disability A good example is that the treatment of autism as a mental disorder makes it possible for pharmaceutical companies and clinics to invent new health systems or procedures that will meet the needs of the […]
• Autist Student’s Behavior and Remedial Plan In the process of reading, I would pay attention to the student’s concentration and ability to integrate what she was reading. She also took long in doing this and did not want to stop the […]
• Autism Treatment, Its Methods and Results It was appropriate to focus on the use of the DSE intervention and examine if addressed most of the challenges facing many ASD patients.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder: Programs Effectiveness The purpose of this PE, therefore, is to evaluate and analyze the efficiency of the programs implemented by the Day Support Services.
• Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders The main goal of this paper is to present a review of relevant literature addressing the issue of helping college students with ASD prepare for workforce readiness and job placement.
• Association Between Vaccination and Autism The study examined whether there is a link between the toxic effects of exposure to thimerosal-containing vaccines and the risk of developing ASD.
• Olfaction and Autism Spectrum Disorder Relationship These findings reveal that the sniff test can reveal both the presence and severity of ASD in young children. The link between ASD and olfaction can be used in diagnosing young children with autism.
• Abu Dhabi Autism Center The Abu Dhabi Autism Center has to operate within the laws and regulations of the Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs.
• Applied Behavior Analysis Treatment for Autism It is the most commonly applied autism treatment remedy in the United States and several other countries in the world and the major method that schools and therapists embrace and use.
• Inclusive Education: Child With Autism and Spina Bifida It is worth mentioning that Ted’s mother is willing to cooperate with teachers, and her participation can be of great assistance to the teacher.
• Children With Autism’ Communication in Saudi Arabia Parents of children with autism in Saudi Arabia have complained that the government has neglected the needs of autistic children by failing to finance their education and research to detect the effectiveness of the digital […]
• Autism Spectrum Disorders: Testing and Measurement It will begin with the rationale that explain why the issues are critical, followed by the reasons for unavailability of the solutions to the issues and the consequences of the issues.
• Autism Spectrum Disorders and Educational Interventions From this point, this paper aims to discuss the definition of Autism Spectrum Disorders, examine the etiology and incidence of the disorder, focus on the prevalence of autism, and analyze the effectiveness of the DTT […]
• Vaccines and Autism: Separating Facts From Fiction The advocacy groups say that thimerosal, a preservative used in vaccines, is toxic to the central nervous system and responsible for an alarming rise in rates of autism among children in the United States and […]
• Lesson for Learners With Autism: Reflection Observation The essay identifies the instructional methods used by the teacher during the exercise. The teacher also guided the learners to solve the mathematical problems using different visual objects.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Concept Besides, Temple often explores her own experiences and attempts to understand the feelings of others that are unavailable to her by visualizing herself as other creatures people and animals.
• Dubai Autism Center’ Quality Management TQM employs strategies and effective communication within the organization to incorporate the quality principles into the culture and activities of the organization to ensure that all the activities are geared towards satisfying the customers.
• Video Modeling for Individuals With Autism The video model will be developed according to the needs of autistic children, with the focus on the role of visual and auditory stimuli in the teaching process.
• The Effects of Vaccines on Autism From their study, the findings demonstrate that the presence of thimerosal is one of the causes of the disorder. It is imperative to state that they have used many studies that have indicated that there […]
• Vaccination as a Cause Autism This paper borrows on the arguments of Monica Prasad and Washington and Haydn when they argue that the belief about vaccinations as a primary cause of autism stems from emotional, psychological, and behavioral barriers, as […]
• Youth With Autism Disorder: Education and Employment This includes the communication patterns of the teenager, the extent of social relations and the unusual behavioral characteristics of the teenager in the environment.
• Autism Children Education Inclusion Policy in Private Schools: Compulsory Enrollment Policy 2011 The following are the main areas will be addressed by the policy: Prohibited Private schools will be prohibited from ignoring the needs of children suffering from autism; they will be compelled by the act to […]
• Autism: Pathogenesis and Intervention Similarly, a person with autism has to be trained on the process of communicating normally and forming a relationship with objects, events and people in their lives.
• The Real Causes of Autism However, the main problem is that this association or correlation does not imply that autism is triggered by a vaccine. This is the main argument that can be put forward.
• Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism The primary subject of this study is applied behavior analysis while the secondary subject is applied behavior analysis and its effects on autism in children.
• Autism. Sensory Integration. Tactile Desensitization The poor development that is recorded at the early stages in life is likely to affect the development of different skills by the individuals even in the adult stages The signs that are associated with […]
• Autism Effect on Children It is crucial to understand the behavior of children with autism in the school set up in order to understand how autism affects children and their social interactions. It is up to the teacher to […]
• Autism and Its Effects on Social Interaction The article “Social Impairment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder” identifies the major challenges facing many people with autism. The authors wanted to examine the social problems and difficulties encountered by individuals with Autism Spectrum […]
• Older Dads More Likely to Have Kids With Autism The author highlights autism as one of the main outcomes of late fatherhood following the release of the results of a study involving the counting of the mutations corresponding to a father’s age at the […]
• Evidenced-Based Practice: Autism Management in Children Autism largely is connected to communication abilities of a child, a situation that later results into the child experiencing disability problems in effectively encoding and decoding communicative messages.
• Miami Dance Project for Autistic Children For me, what the Miami dance project represents is in line with what is known as the concept of confidence building wherein through the development of certain talents children with autism will begin to have […]
• Autism Spectrum Disorders and Family Impact One of the greatest fears of a parent with such a child is the fact that such a child would be taken care of until the advanced stages of their lives.
• Program Models in Autism The DTT technique has been designed in such a way as to target the individual behavior of an autistic child using the available curriculum.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder in Relation to Education Attending to students having ASD in the regular classrooms requires specialized teachers and supplementary staff in order to aid in the realization of the needs of the students having ASD.
• Critical Analysis of Published Articles: Autism It was therefore the goal of the research to find out if the negative attitude of people towards autistic children can be altered to the benefit of the parents.
• Autism in Saudi Arabia This support may come in the form of modification of the curriculum to cater for the special needs of the autistic children.
• Analysis of Autism Disorder This disorder affects the brain of the child during growth so that it does not develop in the right way thus affecting the social and communication skills of the child. This is especially to the […]
• Psychological Disorders and Their Treatment: An Overview of the Recent Progress and the Current Challenges in Treating Autism in Children In the given paper, the issue of psychological disorders is being addressed in reference to the ideas expressed in Chapter 11 “Psychological Disorders” in Carole Wade and Carol Tavris’s Invitation to Psychology.
• Early Intervention for Young Adults With Autism This is due to unavailability of information on children development stages and the importance of early detection and intervention in the case of autism.
• Different Behaviors in Children With Autism The purpose is to find out whether the co morbidity changes with the environment, and assess the influence that the environment has on the behavior of an autistic child.
• Diagnosis and Treatment for Autism Disorder Children with autism are therefore able to reason and even interpret the feelings of other people but the challenge is to communicate the response to other people.
• Autism: Qualitative Research Design Golafshani continues to argue that the use of the term “dependability” in qualitative studies is a close match to the idea of “reliability” in quantitative research.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder However, the reality is that the number of children with autism and having high intelligence is insignificant. It is apparent that, in autism, a disorder is found in the structure of the brain.
• Vaccines and Autism: A Critical Analysis of Thimerosal in Relation to Measles, Mumps, and Rubella The safety and efficacy of vaccines has been the subject of many studies in the medical field. The disorder was observed in one participant from each of the cohorts in the experiment.
• How to Recognize and Teach Students With Autism If these groups of students have to be given directions that are more than three steps, the directions have to be written down due to their inability to remember sequences.
• Autism and Visual Thought Suprisingly the quality of visual thinking according to Bogdashina is dependent on other factors like time and the state the autistic person is in.
• Autism and Educational Process Owing to these adverse effects that can stem from autism and the shear prevalence of the condition in the country’s population, a lot of research effort has been dedicated to the early diagnosis and treatment […]
• Do Vaccines Cause Autism? Thimerosal is alleged to increase the exposure of mercury in the vaccine to a substantiated high amount. In fact, the amount of antigens between children with autism and without is the same irrespective of the […]
• Language Development Problems in Children: An Indicative Characteristic of Autism This is because it is a time when it is expected that a majority of the kids should be able to talk.
• The Disease of Autism Origin The disorder is one of the new diagnoses of the autism. Other effects of the disorder are constipation and growth failures that may be a problem to the lives of the individual.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children and Its Impact on the Family Manning, Wainwright and Bennet argue that children with autism are faced with a big challenge because of the nature of the symptoms the disorder.
• Autism’s Teaching Tips for Children and Adults The present description is concerned with the role of teacher in the better management of Autism in children. Further, assessment of the interactive and developmental skills is on of the important component in the teacher […]
• How Christopher’s Autism Affect His Life In spite of the fact that the issue of autism is not clearly explained in the story, the condition of the narrator is referred to as high-functioning autism or Aspersers Syndrome on the cover of […]
• What Are Autism Spectrum Disorders?
• How Does Autism Affect the Person With It and Those Around Them?
• What Are the Barriers of Learning for a Learner With Autism/Aspergers in Performing Arts?
• Does Gluten Effect Children With Autism?
• What Are the Causes of Autism?
• How Does Autism Affect a Child’s Educational Performance?
• What Can Autism Look Like and Things You Can Do to Spot It?
• Can Children With Autism Develop a Theory of Mind?
• Which Interventions Reduce Anxiety in Autistic People?
• What Influence Has the Development of Autism Had on a Diagnosed Individual?
• How Does Autism Affect the Development of a Child?
• Are Huddles the Missing Piece of the Puzzle in Implementing Clinical Innovation for the Eating Disorder and Autism Comorbidity?
• How Does Autism Start?
• Can Mouse Imaging Studies Bring Order to Autism Connectivity Chaos?
• How Does ‘Fake News’ Affect Autism Policy?
• Are There Any Relationships Between Latent Toxoplasma Gondii Infection, Testosterone Elevation, and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder?
• How Do People With Autism Experience the World?
• Can Robotic Systems Promote Self-Disclosure in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder?
• How Did the Media Perpetuate the Autism-Vaccine Scare?
• Are There Cultural Differences in Parental Interest in Early Diagnosis and Genetic Risk Assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder?
• How Can the Therapist Help Autism Children?
• Can Vaccinations Cause Autism?
• Does Autism Spectrum Disorder Affect People All Around the World?
• Is There a Correlation Between Epigenetics and Autism Spectrum Disorder?
• How Does Autism Affect Regular Brain Functions as Well as Socialization Skills?
• What Can Responses to Music in Autism Tell Us About the Nature of Musical Emotions?
• Why Has the Incidence Rate of Autism Increased?
• What Are the Most Effective Ways to Support/Provide Social Care For Autistic Adults?
• Which Interventions Are Effective in the Development of Communication/Language Skills in Autism?
• How Can Parents and Family Members Be Supported/Educated to Care For and Better Understand an Autistic Relative?
• OCD Essay Titles
• Socialization Essay Ideas
• Psychotherapy Paper Topics
• ADHD Essay Ideas
• Down Syndrome Topics
• Disability Essay Topics
• Alzheimer’s Disease Research Ideas
• Nursing Care Plan Paper Topics
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, March 2). 165 Autism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/autism-essay-topics/

"165 Autism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." IvyPanda , 2 Mar. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/autism-essay-topics/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '165 Autism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples'. 2 March.

IvyPanda . 2024. "165 Autism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/autism-essay-topics/.

1. IvyPanda . "165 Autism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/autism-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "165 Autism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/autism-essay-topics/.

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

• Basic site functions
• Ensuring secure, safe transactions
• Secure account login
• Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
• Remembering privacy and security settings
• Analyzing site traffic and usage
• Personalized search, content, and recommendations
• Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

• Remembering general and regional preferences
• Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy .

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy .

The autism spectrum

Explore the science of autism -- and listen to the stories of people who live with it.

The forgotten history of autism

The world needs all kinds of minds

How I learned to communicate my inner life with Asperger's

Autism — what we know (and what we don't know yet)

How autism freed me to be myself

A new way to diagnose autism

In the key of genius

A word game to communicate in any language

What I've learned from my autistic brothers

Love, no matter what

To understand autism, don't look away

• < Previous

Home > STUDENT_WORKS > David Jones Persuasive Speech Contest > 9

David Jones Persuasive Speech Contest

Autism Speaks

Gabrielle Borries , Parkland College

Publication Date

First Place

Copyright of this speech is owned by the author. Copyright of this video is owned by Parkland College.

Recommended Citation

Borries, Gabrielle, "Autism Speaks" (2011). David Jones Persuasive Speech Contest . 9. https://spark.parkland.edu/jones_speech/9

Streaming Media

Advanced Search

• Notify me via email or RSS
• Collections
• Disciplines

Author Corner

• Fine and Applied Arts at Parkland College
• Learning Commons
• Parkland College Archives

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

And Straight on Till Morning: Essays on Autism Acceptance

ASAN created our first e-book,  And Straight on Till Morning: Essays on Autism Acceptance , as part of our celebration of Autism Acceptance Month 2013. These collected writings, originally posted to our website, build on our tagline for Autism Acceptance Month — “Acceptance is an action.” They are part of an ongoing campaign to shift April from discourse about autism awareness toward discourse about autism acceptance, centering Autistic voices and creating a more inclusive, accepting world. The authors are Autistic people and allies, who write about the need for moving beyond awareness and toward acceptance; the ways in which awareness fails our community; and what acceptance can look like in practice in the community.

★★★★★A must for every parent... When my son was diagnosed with a severe communication disorder, and labelled educationally autistic by the school over 15 years ago, I had to dig and dig to find autistic adults who had also been given the label as a child. All I knew about autistic adults was Rain Man. Once I met Amanda Baggs and Larry Arnold, my heart eased somewhat...they were really good people, and I would be proud for my son to turn out as they did. The heart is the most important thing to me. Julia Bascom came to my awareness with a wonderful essay she wrote, juststimming(dot)wordpress(dot)com/2011/10/05/quiet-hands/ (I'm not sure Amazon allows links.) Then the Loud Hands project began, I contributed a little. How wonderful to be a part of something far larger than ourselves. Autism experts today believe in abusive tactics (sometimes behaviorism is abusive. Not physically, necessarily,but it kind of discounts the humanity of an autistic individual...in essence, treats them as an animal trainer would treat his charge. Oops, maybe I shouldn't have said that. Anyhow, there is no curiosity about what is inside.) Other's belittle the way they walk and/or talk, still, very special experts call them evil, lacking basic human instincts. I'm glad my son wasn't born in this day. The "experts" would scare the @#$% out of me. Thank God for Temple Grandin, and Donna Williams, who had written the only books I read about true autism experts...the autistics themselves. I tried reading the PhD stuff...ech...dry as old bones. This is a living book, a testament to the humanity to a group of people others choose to treat inhumanely. The other books are written by the prison guards. These are the prisoners. Their crime is being born with a neurological difference that sets them apart. You will not be unchanged.

★★★★★Must have autism book It's critical the non-disabled world, parents, siblings, teachers and friends, shift perspective and understand the experience of autism first hand. This brilliant book takes you there to deconstruct all the myths and prejudice we all hold before we love someone who tells us how it really is.

★★★★★Must read to save lives! This is one of the best books I've ever read. A must for people with autism and people who love or support them. I'm a 30 year veteran in the disability world, so best is a real achievement.

★★★★★Beautifully done I absolutely loved this book. The essays are well-written and compelling, self-advocacy at its best. An excellent read, particularly for the non-autistic community at large.

• PO Box 66122 Washington, DC 20035
• Find a broken link or other site issue? Email [email protected]
• Action Alerts
• Issue Tracker
• Become a Member

Get Our Newsletter

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Digestive Health
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Diet & Nutrition
• Health Insurance
• Public Health
• Patient Rights
• Caregivers & Loved Ones
• End of Life Concerns
• Health News
• Thyroid Test Analyzer
• Doctor Discussion Guides
• Hemoglobin A1c Test Analyzer
• Lipid Test Analyzer
• Complete Blood Count (CBC) Analyzer
• What to Buy
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Medical Expert Board

5 Controversies Surrounding Autism

Disorder or difference, causes of autism.

• Best Treatments
• Adult Support

There is a lot of controversy surrounding autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Because the spectrum encompasses such a wide range of autism traits and abilities, there are differences in what an ASD diagnosis means to different people.

And because clear answers about the causes of autism and how (or whether) to treat it are still lacking, disagreements among people in the autism community sometimes run deep. What kinds of support are needed for adults and how people are best educated are just a few of the questions.

This article looks at five of the major areas of debate, including the definition of what it means to be autistic.

The diagnostic criteria for autism have changed radically over time, making it hard to define who actually qualifies (or once qualified) for an autism diagnosis.

In the early 20th century, autism was considered to be a rare and severe form of schizophrenia marked by a nearly complete separation from reality. It wasn't until 1980 that autism was described as a separate disorder not related to schizophrenia; at that point, it was considered a developmental disorder rather than a mental illness.

In 1994, Asperger's syndrome was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). The now-outdated diagnosis was typically given to those with high IQs and strong verbal skills, but who had difficulties with social skills as well as narrow interests and repetitive behaviors.

The DSM-IV recognized five distinct diagnoses, including Asperger's syndrome, autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), Rett syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder. When the DSM-5 was published in 2013, these five disorders were eliminated and folded into the single diagnosis of "autism spectrum disorder."

Hence, ASD now includes a large range of people, some of whom are intensely challenged and others who are brilliant and accomplished. The evolution of the criteria has led to disagreements among parents, self-advocates, and practitioners about what autism really means.

Some people believe autism should be celebrated as a normal neurological variation (sometimes called " neurodiversity ") that can lead to extraordinary insights, and often claim that people such as Einstein and Mozart would have been diagnosable with autism today. Others think autism should be considered a disorder that should be treated, or even cured.

Rates of autism have been increasing dramatically in recent decades, but it is not clear whether this is due to more people being diagnosed, environmental factors, or some combination of both. This increase has led to an increase in research on autism.

Scientists believe that both genetics and environmental factors likely play a role. Some researchers have found differences in the brains of autistic people.

In the 1940s, psychiatrist Leo Kanner suggested that cold, so-called “refrigerator” mothers caused autism. This theory has been dismissed, as there is no proof that parental temperament has anything to do with autism.

The fact that there is no known cause of ASD has given rise to fringe theories, none of which have solid research to support them. Among these are the belief that vaccines (and trace amounts of mercury in one particular vaccine) cause the onset of autism in children. This is untrue. In fact, one study found that higher rates of autism occurred in children who were un- or under-vaccinated.  

Others believe that autism is caused by airplane contrails, anti-flea powders, or cell phones. All of these theories have been debunked, yet some persist.

Best Autism Treatments

Autism is not a condition to be "cured," but therapies can help with managing challenges and improving functioning. Some therapies are carefully researched, others are fly-by-night, and still others are somewhere between. There are tremendous disagreements about which treatments are most effective, most appropriate, most humane, most respectful, and safest.

One of the most significant splits in treatment theory occurred during the 1990s with the belief that vaccines caused autism. This myth resulted in the emergence of treatments intended to "chelate" or remove heavy metals from the body. These treatments, usually used for lead poisoning, are typically provided in a clinical setting—but parents did and do provide chelation at home, with some risk of injury.

For autism, risky and questionable treatments include hyperbaric oxygen chambers and stem cell therapy. There are even some who advocate a form of enema that contains bleach.

In addition to these more extreme approaches, there are legitimate differences of opinion as to whether applied behavioral therapy (ABA) is more appropriate than developmental therapies such as Floortime or Play Therapy.

While behavioral therapy has been extensively researched, some self-advocates and parents feel that it is at worst cruel and at best inappropriate. In fact, the two camps have come much closer over the years: Some forms of behavioral therapy are now very similar to developmental approaches.

There is also significant controversy over dietary therapies. Some research suggests that autistic children are, indeed, more susceptible to gastrointestinal issues, which can lead to pain and discomfort. Putting autistic children on special diets, however, is controversial.

Education and Autism

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees a public education to eligible children with disabilities, along with special education and related services.

Parents and educators sometimes disagree, however, as to whether it's a good idea to include an autistic child in a typical educational setting if they are academically capable but exhibit behavioral challenges—or vice versa. Often, the controversy about inclusion escalates into mediation and even lawsuits.

Other disagreements relate to what autistic children should be taught. If a child is capable of learning academically, should their primary educational focus be on academics or on the social/communication skills they will need to navigate the community?

Similarly, some parents and schools believe that autism-only educational settings are ideal. These settings are physically set up to lessen sensory challenges and are staffed by autism experts who can provide autism-specific programs. On the other hand, such settings deny autistic children the opportunity to participate in their own communities and engage with neurotypical peers.

Support as Adults

Even well-educated autistic adults have challenges that can make full-time employment, household management, and daily interactions extremely difficult. Those with high support needs ( level 3 autism ) are rarely capable of living completely on their own without any form of financial or personal support.

Since ASD encompasses such a wide range of abilities, it is not always clear which autistic adults should live in the general community, and which in group settings, as well as who should pay for what can be extensive needs. It's hard to make the case outside the autism community that a college graduate is limited in coping with the demands of daily life, even though in many cases it's simply a statement of fact.

All of these issues are addressed on an individual and state-by-state basis. While some states provide liberal resources for autistic adults, offering funds for a variety of housing options and supports, others provide almost nothing. Political disagreements over funding for adults leads to inequities in what's available, and at what quality, for which individuals.

• Zeldovitch L.  The evolution of ‘autism’ as a diagnosis, explained .  Spectrum News. May 2018.

The Autism History Project.  J. Louise Despert, "Schizophrenia in children, 1938."

Hansen SN, Schendel DE, Parner ET. Explaining the increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders: the proportion attributable to changes in reporting practices . JAMA Pediatr . 2015 Jan;169(1):56-62. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2014.1893.

Hashem S, Nisar S, Bhat AA, et al. Genetics of structural and functional brain changes in autism spectrum disorder . Transl Psychiatry.  2020;10:229. doi:10.1038/s41398-020-00921-3

Zerbo O, Modaressi S, Goddard K, et al.  Vaccination patterns in children after autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and in their younger siblings . JAMA Pediatr . 2018 May 1;172(5):469-475. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.0082.

Chaidez V, Hansen RL, Hertz-Picciotto I.  Gastrointestinal problems in children with autism, developmental delays or typical development .  J Autism Dev Disord . 2014;44(5):1117-27. doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1973-x

By Lisa Jo Rudy Rudy is a writer, consultant, author, and advocate who specializes in autism. Her work has appeared in The New York Times and Autism Parenting Magazine.

Search the United Nations

Un headquarters, 02 april 2015, remarks on world autism awareness day, ban ki-moon.

Thank you all for being here today. This is a very important gathering and thank you very much for coming to the engagement in helping people with autism.

I am also delighted to join you with my wife, Yoo Soon-taek, who has made autism awareness a personal cause. I am proud to be one of the champions working for the benefit and well-being of people with autism. I thank you very much. I am also very pleased to see Governor Markell. We need some political will and engagement at the highest level of leadership. This really makes a lot of difference. Of course, everybody’s engagement is important. But when it comes from the top with political will, it is always very important. Thank you for your taking time. [Thank you for coming] such a long way from Delaware. I really appreciate. Welcome to the United Nations.

We are here to call for greater access and work opportunities for persons with autism. While there has been a good deal of progress, much more needs to be done.

I am hugely encouraged by the growing public awareness of autism spectrum disorders and the improvement in public services to many of those affected. World Autism Awareness Day not only fosters greater understanding, it empowers parents into seeking early intervention therapies and calls for the full integration of persons with autism into society. It also invites policy-makers to encourage schools to open their doors to students with autism. With adequate support, they can -- and should -- be educated in the heart of their communities.

This year, my wife [Yoo Soon-taek] and I are delighted to launch an employment “Call to Action”, inviting businesses to make concrete commitments to employ people on the autism spectrum. We encourage public offices, corporations, and small businesses to have a closer look at the way they perceive people with autism, to take the time to learn about the condition and to create life-changing opportunities.

People with autism have enormous potential. Most have remarkable visual, artistic or academic skills. Thanks to the use of assistive technologies, non-verbal persons with autism can communicate and share their un-tapped capabilities. Recognizing the talents of persons on the autism spectrum, rather than focusing on their weaknesses, is essential to creating a society that is truly inclusive.

Yet even where awareness is high, more than 80 per cent of adults with autism are unemployed. That is why it is so important for companies to understand their unique and often exceptional skills, and to enable work environments where they can excel.

This requires appropriate vocational training and adequate support alongside a recruitment process that can allow people to successfully integrate into workforces around the world.

It is encouraging to see that there are forward-thinking businesses that recognize the value that people with autism have to offer. And I’m so pleased to see many of the leaders of these companies represented here today, to share with us their experiences and to help inspire others to benefit from this largely untapped pool of talent.

The United Nations General Assembly has called for greater access and opportunities for persons with autism. In declaring 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day, the Assembly also called for training for public administrators, service providers, caregivers, families and non-professionals to support the integration of persons with autism into society so that people with autism can realize their full potential.

On World Autism Day, my family extends our solidarity to all those affected.

Let us join forces to create the best possible conditions for those with autism, so that they can make their own contribution to a future that is fair and sustainable for all.

Thank you all for your engagement and leadership.

• U.N. Secretariat
• AIDS, other health issues Development, Millennium Dev. Goals
• Daily Schedule
• Appointment Process
• Role of the Secretary-General
• Former Secretaries-General
• Official Travels
• Deputy Secretary-General
• Senior Management Group
• Global Leadership
• Messengers of Peace
• Annual Report on the Work of the Organization
• Coordinator for Multilingualism
• Public Disclosure
• Opinion pieces/Op-eds
• Secretariat
• Department of Global Communications
• Spokesperson's Office
• Scientific Advisory Board

Advertisement

Changing Children’s Attitudes Toward Autism: A Process of Persuasive Communication

• Original Paper
• Published: 22 August 2006
• Volume 18 , pages 251–272, ( 2006 )

Cite this article

• Jonathan M. Campbell 1 , 2  

3153 Accesses

44 Citations

Explore all metrics

The purposes of this paper are two-fold. First, the initial introduction of a child with autism to typically developing peers is conceptualized as a process of persuasive communication. Second, relevant literature is organized and reviewed according to important components and processes involved in persuasive communication, including effects of source, message, receiver, and channel. Research about perceptions of children with autism is highlighted when available. When findings for autism were unavailable, literature on children’s perceptions of peers with physical and medical disabilities is reviewed as well as perceptions of adults with severe mental illness. From the perspective of persuasion theory, limitations of the literature and future research questions are identified that are relevant to introducing children with autism to peers for the first time.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save.

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Persuasion in school-aged children: How does it change if the persuadee is the mother or the peer?

Parents’ adoption of social communication intervention strategies: families including children with autism spectrum disorder who are minimally verbal.

Helping Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Develop Social Ability: The Early Start Denver Model Approach

Alderfer, M. A., Wiebe, D. J., and Hartmann, D. P. (2001). Social behaviour and illness information interact to influence the peer acceptance of children with chronic illness. Br. J. Health Psychol . 6: 243–255.

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Allport, G. W. (1954). The Nature of Prejudice , Addison-Wesley, Cambridge, MA.

Google Scholar  

Azjen, I. (2001). Nature and operation of attitudes. Annu. Rev. Psychol . 52: 27–58.

Article   Google Scholar  

Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychol. Rev . 84: 191–215.

Bak, J. J., and Siperstein, G. N. (1987). Similarity as a factor effecting change in children’s attitudes toward mentally retarded peers. Am. J. Ment. Defic . 91: 524–531.

PubMed   Google Scholar  

Barker, G. P., and Graham, S. (1987). Developmental study of praise and blame as attributional cues. J. Educ. Psychol . 79: 62–66.

Bell, S. K., and Morgan, S. B. (2000). Children’s attitudes and behavioral intentions toward a peer presented as obese: Does a medical explanation for the obesity make a difference? J. Pediatr. Psychol . 25: 137–145.

Burack, J. A., Root, R., and Zigler, E. (1997). Inclusive education for students with autism: Reviewing ideological, empirical, and community considerations. In Cohen, D. J., and Volkmar, F. R. (eds.), Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders (2nd ed.), Wiley and Sons, New York, pp. 796–807.

Burgoon, J. K., Dunbar, N. E., and Segrin, C. (2002). Nonverbal influence. In Dillard, J. P., and Pfau, M. (eds.), The Persuasion Handbook: Developments in Theory and Practice , Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 445–473.

Campbell, J. M., Ferguson, J. E., Herzinger, C. V., Jackson, J. N., and Marino, C. A. (2005). Peers’ attitudes toward autism differ across sociometric groups: An exploratory investigation. J. Dev. Phys. Disabil . 17: 283–300.

Campbell, J. M., Ferguson, J. E., Herzinger, C. V., Jackson, J. N., and Marino, C. A. (2004). Combined descriptive and explanatory information improves peers’ perceptions of autism. Res. Dev. Disabil . 25: 321–339.

Clunies-Ross, G., and O’Meara, K. (1989). Changing the attitudes of students towards peers with disabilities. Australian Psychol . 24: 273–284.

Corrigan, P. W. (2000). Mental health stigma as social attribution: Implications for research methods and attitude change. Clinical Psychol.: Science and Practice 7: 48–67.

Corrigan, P. W., Edwards, A. B., Green, A., Diwan, S. L., and Penn, D. L. (2001a). Prejudice, social distance, and familiarity with mental illness. Schizophr. Bull . 27: 219–225.

Corrigan, P. W., and Penn, D. L. (1999). Lessons from social psychology on discrediting psychiatric stigma. Am. Psychol . 54: 765–776.

Corrigan, P. W., River, L. P., Lundin, R. K., Penn, D. L., Uphoff-Wasowski, K., Campion, J., Mathisen, J., Gagnon, C., Bergman, M., Goldstein, H., and Kubiak, M. A. (2001b). Three strategies for changing attributions about severe mental illness. Schizophr. Bull . 27: 187–195.

Feldman, R. H. L. (1984). The influence of communicator characteristics on the nutrition attitudes and behavior of high school students. J. Sch. Health 54: 149–151.

Ferguson, J. E., and Campbell, J. M. (2004). Information source affects peers’ initial attitudes toward autism. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Friedrich, S., Morgan, S. B., and Devine, C. (1996). Children’s attitudes and behavioral intentions toward a peer with Tourette’s syndrome. J. Pediatr. Psychol . 21: 307–319.

Furnham, A., and Buck, C. (2003). A comparison of lay-beliefs about autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Int. J. Soc. Psychiatry 49: 287–307.

Gordon, P. A., Feldman, D., Tantillo, J. C., and Perrone, K. (2004). Attitudes regarding interpersonal relationships with persons with mental illness and mental retardation. J. Rehabil . 70: 50–56.

Gottlieb, J., and Gottlieb, B. W. (1977). Stereotypic attitudes and behavioral intentions toward handicapped children. Am. J. Ment. Defic . 82: 65–71.

Grandin, T. (1986). Emergence: Labeled Autistic , Arena Press, Novato, CA.

Gray, D. E. (1993). Perceptions of stigma: The parents of autistic children. Sociol. Health Illn . 15: 102–120.

Gray, D. E. (2002). “Everybody just freezes. Everybody is just embarrassed”: Felt and enacted stigma among parents of children with high functioning autism. Sociol. Health Illn . 24: 734–749.

Gray, C. C., and Rodrigue, J. R. (2001). Brief report: Perceptions of young adolescents about a hypothetical new peer with cancer: An analog study. J. Pediatr. Psychol . 26: 247–252.

Harrower, J. K., and Dunlap, G. (2001). Including children with autism in general education classrooms: A review of effective strategies. Behav. Modif . 25: 762–784.

Heider, F. (1958). The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations , Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.

Indiana Resource Center for Autism and WTIU, Indiana University Public Television (Producer) (1991). Autism: Being friends [Videotape] . (Available from the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, 2853 East 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47408-2696. http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/cedir/autism.html#video.).

Juvonen, J. (1992). Negative peer reactions from the perspective of the reactor. J. Educ. Psychol . 84: 314–321.

Kennedy, T., Regehr, G., Rosenfield, J., Roberts, S. W., and Lingard, L. (2004). Exploring the gap between knowledge and behavior: A qualitative study of clinician action following an educational intervention. Acad. Med . 79: 386–393.

Kolodziej, M. E., and Johnson, B. T. (1996). Interpersonal contact and acceptance of persons with psychiatric disorders: A research synthesis. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol . 64: 1387–1396.

Lisser, M., and Westbay, J. (2001). Making friends with aliens: Inclusion and collaborative autobiography. In Andron, L. (ed.), Our Journey through High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome: A Roadmap , Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Philadelphia, PA, pp. 133–175.

Magiati, E., Dockrell, J. E., and Logotheti, A. (2002). Young children’s understanding of disabilities: The influence of development, context, and cognition. Appl. Dev. Psychol . 23: 409–430.

McHale, S. M., and Simeonsson, R. J. (1980). Effects of interaction on nonhandicapped children’s attitudes toward autistic children. Am. J. Ment. Defic . 85: 18–24.

Mesibov, G., and Shea, V. (1996). Full inclusion and students with autism. J. Autism Dev. Disord . 26: 337–346.

Mesibov, G. B., Shea, V., and Adams, L. W. (2001). Understanding Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism , Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York.

Nabors, L. A., and Larson, E. R. (2002). The effects of brief interventions on children’s playmate preferences for a child sitting in a wheelchair. J. Dev. Phys. Disabil . 14: 403–413.

Nangle, D. W., and Foster, S. L. (1992). The effects of a positive behavioral context on the social impact of aggressive behavior. J. Abnorm. Child Psychol . 20: 543–553.

Nowicki, E. A., and Sandieson, R. (2002). A meta-analysis of school-age children’s attitudes towards persons with physical or intellectual disabilities. Int. J. Disabil. Dev. Educ . 49: 243–265.

Ochs, E., Kremer-Sadlik, T., Solomon, O., and Sirota, K. G. (2001). Inclusion as social practice: Views of children with autism. Soc. Dev . 10: 399–419.

Ozonoff, S., Dawson, G., and McPartland, J. (2002). A Parent’s Guide to Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism: How to Meet the Challenges and Help your Child Thrive , The Guilford Press, New York.

Pornpitakpan, C. (2004). The persuasiveness of source credibility: A critical review of five decades’ evidence. J. Appl. Soc. Psychol . 34: 243–281.

Potter, P. C., and Roberts, M. C. (1984). Children’s perceptions of chronic illness: The roles of disease symptoms, cognitive development, and information. J. Pediatr. Psychol . 9: 13–27.

Reinke, R. R., Corrigan, P. W., Leonhard, C., Lundin, R. K., and Kubiak, M. A. (2004). Examining two aspects of contact on the stigma of mental illness. J. Soc. Clin. Psychol . 23: 377–389.

Rhoads, K. V. L., and Cialdini, R. B. (2003). The business of influence: Principles that lead to success in commercial settings. In Dillard, J. P., and Pfau, M. (eds.), The Persuasion Handbook: Developments in Theory and Practice , Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 513–542.

Rosenbaum, P. L., Armstrong, R. W., and King, S. M. (1986a). Children’s attitudes toward disabled peers: A self-report measure. J. Pediatr. Psychol . 11: 517–530.

Rosenbaum, P. L., Armstrong, R. W., and King, S. M. (1986b). Improving attitudes toward the disabled: A randomized controlled trial of direct contact versus Kids-on-the-Block. J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr . 8: 302–307.

Rosenbaum, P. L., Armstrong, R. W., and King, S. M. (1987). Parental attitudes toward children with handicaps: New perspectives with a new measure. J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr . 8: 327–334.

Rosenbaum, P. L., Armstrong, R. W., and King, S. M. (1988). Determinants of children’s attitudes toward disability: A review of evidence. Child. Health Care 17: 32–39.

Ryan, K. M. (1981). Developmental differences in reactions to the physically disabled. Hum. Dev . 24: 240–256.

Sasso, G. A., and Rude, H. A. (1987). Unprogrammed effects of training high-status peers to interact with severely handicapped children. J. Appl. Behav. Anal . 20: 35–44.

Schumacher, M., Corrigan, P. W., and DeJong, T. (2003). Examining cues that signal mental illness stigma. J. Soc. Clin. Psychol . 22: 467–476.

Sigelman, C. K. (1991). The effect of causal information on peer perceptions of children with physical problems. J. Appl. Dev. Psychol . 12: 237–253.

Siperstein, G. N., and Bak, J. (1977). Instruments to measure children’s attitudes toward the handicapped: Adjective Checklist and Activity Preference List . Unpublished manuscript, University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Siperstein, G. N., and Bak, J. J. (1985). Effects of social behavior on children’s attitudes toward their mildly and moderately mentally retarded peers. Am. J. Ment. Retard . 90: 319–327.

Slininger, D., Sherrill, C., and Jankowski, C. M. (2000). Children’s attitudes toward peers with severe disabilities: Revisiting contact theory. Adapt. Phys. Act. Q . 17: 176–196.

Smith, L. A., and Williams, J. M. (2004). Children’s understanding of the causal origins of disability. J. Cogn. Dev . 5: 383–397.

Swaim, K. F., and Morgan, S. B. (2001). Children’s attitudes and behavioral intentions toward a peer with autistic behaviors: Does a brief educational intervention have an effect? J. Autism Dev. Disord . 31: 195–205.

Taylor, S. E., Peplau, L. A., and Sears, D. O. (2003). Social Psychology (11th edition), Upper Saddle River, Prentice Hall, NJ.

Tirosh, E., Schanin, M., and Reiter, S. (1997). Children’s attitudes toward peers with disabilities: The Israeli perspective. Dev. Med. Child Neurol . 39: 811–814.

Triandis, H. C. (1971). Attitude and Attitude Change , John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York.

Tripp, A., French, R., and Sherrill, C. (1995). Contact theory and attitudes of children in physical education programs toward peers with disabilities. Adapt. Phys. Act. Q . 12: 323–332.

Volkmar, F. (2001). Editorial preface. J. Autism Dev. Disord . 31: 117–118.

Weiner, B. (1980). A cognitive (attribution)-emotion-action model of motivation behavior: An analysis of judgments of help-giving. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol . 39: 186–200.

Weiner, B. (1993). On sin versus sickness: A theory of perceived responsibility and social motivation. Am. Psychol . 48: 957–965.

White, K. J., Jones, K., and Sherman, M. D. (1998). Reputation information and teacher feedback: Their influences on children’s perceptions of behavior problem peers. J. Soc. Clin. Psychol . 17: 11–37.

Woods, D. W., Fuqua, R. W., and Outman, R. C. (1999). Evaluating the social acceptability of persons with habit disorders: The effects of topography, frequency, and gender manipulation. J. Psychopathol. Behav. Assess . 21: 1–18.

Yuker, H. E. (1994). Variables that influence attitudes toward people with disabilities. J. Soc. Behav. Pers . 9(5): 3–22.

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Preparation of this article was supported in part by a research grant from the Organization for Autism Research Foundation awarded to the author.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Educational Psychology, University of Georgia, Georgia, USA

Jonathan M. Campbell

Department of Educational Psychology, University of Georgia, 325 Aderhold Hall, Athens, GA, 30602-7143, USA

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonathan M. Campbell .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Campbell, J.M. Changing Children’s Attitudes Toward Autism: A Process of Persuasive Communication. J Dev Phys Disabil 18 , 251–272 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-006-9015-7

Download citation

Published : 22 August 2006

Issue Date : September 2006

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-006-9015-7

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

Overcoming Written Difficulties

Research summary.

Some students, including those on the autism spectrum, have difficulty with tasks that require them to use persuasive writing. Students can have challenges with:

• fine motor skills 
• perceptual demands of handwriting
• conceptual and language demands of written composition.

As part of this project, the research team designed an iPad app to help students in Years 4–6 to produce persuasive texts. The design of the app incorporated three evidence-supported practices that are effective for students on the spectrum, including:

• assistive technology using writing support software (see the Use software to support written expression practice to learn more) 
• self-regulated strategy development (see the Implement self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) practice to learn more)
• peer video-modelling.

The project found that students who experience difficulties with persuasive writing can use support software and SRSD to increase their:

• amount of writing 
• quality of writing 
• self-belief.

'I’ve wrote some more stories and I’m getting more confident .' —A participating student

Research aim

The research team considered the following questions:

• How can a targeted support program be designed to teach and scaffold self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instruction in mainstream classrooms?
• handwriting 
• writing support software, supported by video-modelling
• SRSD with handwriting, supported by video-modelling
• SRSD with writing support software, supported by video-modelling?
• How effective is the fully scaffolded SRSD instruction app at helping students on the spectrum to overcome their difficulties in written expression?
• socially relevant
• ecologically relevant?

Key elements

Written compositions are central to many classroom learning activities, formal assessments, and informal assessments. The ability to write persuasively:

• helps students to demonstrate learning
• communicates ideas
• is an important part of the Australian Curriculum, as students are regularly assessed on their persuasive writing through NAPLAN. 

Assistive technology such as writing support software has several helpful features, such as:

• speaking the words as they are typed, known as text-to-speech
• word prediction 
• a dictionary to clarify words as they are typed
• a vocabulary list that saves words and compiles a personal glossary for students.

Previous research indicates that assistive technology such as writing support software can:

• help to overcome issues with the physical act of handwriting 
• improve spelling ability and sentence construction of students with writing difficulties.

The app designed in this research project used software that enables the use of writing support features such as word prediction. 

Some students, particularly those on the autism spectrum, have difficulties writing and may:

• write vague or unclear statements
• create writing that is difficult to follow, i.e. has poor textual coherence
• create writing with weak structure. 

In addition to generating ideas and structuring an argument, persuasive writing tasks also require students to: 

• consider different points of view 
• anticipate the reader’s perspective 
• present ideas in a way that readers will find convincing.

The app designed in this research project incorporated the SRSD strategy ‘POW+TREE’. SRSD has been shown to help students with their writing by scaffolding conceptual idea generation and sequencing. 

Video-modelling is an effective way to support the learning of all students in a mainstream classroom, including students on the spectrum. As an inclusive teaching strategy, video-modelling:

• presents information in a predictable and systematic way
• gains and keeps the attention of students on the spectrum
• is less socially demanding and is more intrinsically motivating.

In this project, video-modelling reduced the demand on teachers and was used as an engaging way to provide instruction to students in subjects such as:

• the functionality of Texthelp Read&Write software 
• using POW+TREE steps.

The app provided examples of completed NAPLAN-modelled persuasive writing tasks using the POW+TREE steps. 

'I like that it scaffolded them and took the role of having to model it away from the teacher because it was modelled already. This meant the teacher was freed up to go around and work one-on-one or with small groups.'   —A participating teacher

Quick reference guide

Overcome written difficulties: quick reference guide.

Our evidence base

Co-design phase.

To gain a broad perspective of the design considerations of the app and videos, researchers co-designed the app and peer-modelled videos with:

• graphic designers and app developers
• adults and students (including some on the autism spectrum), primary school teachers, and one school principal.

Participants

The research team gathered feedback on the initial prototype through focus groups and semi-structured interviews with: 

• 17 primary school students, including four that were on the spectrum
• four teachers 
• two adults on the spectrum.

SETTi framework

The research team modified the Student, Environment, Tasks, Tools (SETT) assistive technology selection framework. To recognise the inclusive, class-wide use of the co-designed app for this research, the team added an 'i' to the above acronym. The SETTi framework considers the needs of students, their environment, and tasks as a basis for designing and developing inclusive learning tools.

Scaffold components

Co-design of the app incorporated the ‘six components of scaffolding’ (Wood et al., 1976):

• development of learner interest in the task
• simplification of the task
• provision of encouragement and direction
• provision of critical feedback
• support to manage frustration
• modelling of a solution to the task

Co-design process

The seven-stage co-design process included:

• scanning and analysing currently available apps
• iterative prototype development and refinement
• co-design focus groups and interviews 
• video development.

Overview of the co-design process

The co-design process developed and tested the Power Writer app prototype based on participant feedback.

Evaluation of writing support materials

The research team investigated the efficacy of the Power Writer app by examining the quality and length of students' written texts when they used only:

• handwriting
• writing support software, which was explained using video-modelling by a peer
• SRSD with handwriting
• SRSD with writing support software, which was explained using video-modelling by a peer.

Eight students on the autism spectrum in Years 4–6 participated in the single subject experimental design. Students attended mainstream primary schools in the Brisbane metropolitan area.

A double-baseline ABAC design was used and each student completed a writing task with:

• A = handwriting (the baseline)
• B = writing support software alone
• C = the app for SRSD instruction.

The research team used this method to factor in any potential learning curve in the analysis and to determine the relative contributions of the writing support software and SRSD. If this study had only measured the impact of introducing both the writing support software and SRSD together, it would not have been possible to determine whether or not either or both strategies had affected written expression.

The first handwriting baseline (A1) was compared with the first intervention condition (B). Then, the second handwriting baseline (A2) was compared with the second intervention condition (C). 

An Apple iPad Air 2 was given to each student, installed with Read&Write writing support software and the Power Writer app. Students also had access to wifi for both these programs.

40 NAPLAN-modelled prompt sheets were developed in consultation with two qualified markers, input from two children aged eight and 11, and review from teachers to ensure their suitability.

Findings from the research team

• Writing support software significantly improved the writing quality of four students and the word count of two students.
• SRSD training provided by the app also significantly improved writing quality for one student and the word count of three students. 
• All students had higher NAPLAN scores when using SRSD and writing support (condition C) than they did with writing support alone (condition B), with three students seeing a significant difference.
• Both students and teachers were positive towards the app components.
• All students continued using the writing support on the iPad during condition C, which may indicate their motivation to use the app.
• Students felt more positive about writing.
• Teachers reported improvements in the quality and length of students' written compositions, and their willingness to write. 

Results demonstrated the complexity of the challenges involved in supporting the writing of students on the spectrum. The different support program elements and their effect on students’ writing performance were affected by the individual characteristics of each student.

Qualitative feedback 

Surveys and semi-structured interviews, conducted both before and after the support program, provided qualitative feedback from students and their teachers about:

• student self-belief and attitude towards writing
• how students felt about using the various writing techniques, software, and strategies
• changes in students’ approach to structured writing tasks in the classroom
• attitudes towards the support program strategies and the acceptability of the app for providing writing support in inclusive, mainstream classrooms.

Student perceptions

Initially, all participating students expressed negative feelings about writing tasks and their self-belief in completing them. The students described writing tasks as hard, something that they were not good at, or something that took them longer to complete than their classmates.

Most of the students expressed a dislike for writing and had difficulty planning, conceptualising, and physically performing handwriting tasks.

Interviews conducted after the support project found that students:

• felt more positive about writing and had greater self-belief after the study
• achieved positive results using SRSD scaffolding in planning
• reported fewer handwriting challenges with the use of technology
• found the peer-modelled instructional videos particularly motivating.

Participating students said:

‘I’ve gotten used to writing and I’ve gotten help writing stories. I’ve gotten better at writing.’

‘I’ve actually started to write in class.’

‘That holiday story was really good. I was using persuasive words like, I mentioned that there was like this little cave…’

‘I’ve wrote some more stories and I’m getting more confident.’

‘I think the next time I am asked to do a persuasive text I'll be much better at it.’

‘It was quite boring doing persuasive texts. I hated them before I did this.’

Teacher perceptions

Six teachers completed surveys and reported that the support project was helpful for most of the students and that they were willing to recommend it to others. 

Teachers reported improvements in the quality and length of students' written compositions and their willingness to write.

Teachers found the app to be:

• suitable for whole-class mainstream classroom use
• highly valuable in supporting struggling writers
• in need of further extension for competent writers.

Participating teachers said:

‘I can get a lot more out of Luke if he is using his iPad – I mean his stamina is higher. When he has to use a pencil, he just runs out of the will to write very quickly.’

‘The iPad just gives them that element. It takes the stress of using handwriting and the fine motor skills out of the equation and put what's actually in their head on the page.’

‘I would say that the iPad motivates them to get started and to continue working instead of dithering.’

‘His focus has incrementally increased and for longer periods since you started this research.’

‘I would say that is helpful with completion of the story. He'd make a start previously, and then get distracted and then to come back to it. I've read what he's written just recently and it's just flying ... the whole story is cohesive.’

‘I've got a couple of students who would really benefit from using SRSD. It's about organising their thoughts and all sorts of things.’

Ecological relevance

To assess the broader social validity of the project of the support program, it was trialled in selected classrooms, and focus groups were run with teachers who had used the program on a whole-class basis.

Researcher observation of class use of the app

The class was shown two instructional videos and students were provided with materials before starting the writing task. Observations were made of the class as a whole rather than individual students based on the following prompts:

• How are students working? Are they working in groups or individually?
• Are students on task? Do students show interest in the activity? Are there issues with behaviour around staying on task?
• How is the app being used? Is the app being used as intended or in a different way? 
• Do students appear to be engaged in the task? 
• What questions or comments do students have about the app?

Teacher focus groups

The teacher focus group questions explored:

• teachers' opinions of the app as a tool for teaching purposes
• students’ responses to the video-modelling strategies
• student preferences for Read&Write writing support software compared to handwriting.

Several themes emerged from the teacher focus groups and researcher observations, such as:

• self-belief
• self-regulation
• task management
• video-modelling
• inclusive use
• writing support software
• school environment 
• future improvements.

Self-belief

The app engaged both mainstream students and students on the autism spectrum who struggle with writing self-belief.

Teachers said:

‘I'm assuming it's from the app that he was a bit more confident to put things down on paper.’

‘She's been more willing, not reluctant.’

Self-regulation

Teachers often mentioned the app and its ability to assist students with self-regulation and writing composition.

‘It gave them a very clear direction and structure, directions for moving, and structure through the areas where they could actually write their ideas.’

‘I think they could see if it made sense and having the structure there took the pressure off them trying to remember that. They could focus on exactly what they were writing.’

Task management

Students working in groups were engaged and on task, and discussed the materials and chosen topic.

‘I found that one of my students in particular has awful handwriting and fine motor skills and it’s difficult to read his writing and stuff. I noticed he was quite engaged because he didn't have that barrier for him.’

‘If they didn't like the app and videos they'd have been silly and mucking around. I think you could take it from that, that they were watching it and engaged.’

Video modelling

Students engaged with the instructional videos. However, some students needed help transitioning from the example videos into the writing task.

Teachers liked the peer-modelled videos and that students could watch them more than once to comprehend the information. Video-modelling enabled the teacher to spend more time supporting other students. Teachers also liked the relevance of video topics.

‘I thought the videos were awesome.’

‘I think they could relate to it.’

‘I think that there were topics that appealed to them, like the gaming one and the other topics that were offered were great.’

‘I think because of the samples that were given, some of them did some really outlandish topics that they were discussing. One group that I was with wondered what would happen if we could all have flying cars and they were, you know, rattling out all these ideas.’

Inclusive use

The app encouraged collaboration among students, including students on the spectrum working with mainstream students. Teachers thought the app was useful as a starting tool for reluctant writers, and that more advanced writers needed extension.

‘The students were actually conversing with each other about it, so I thought that was a plus’.

‘Competent writers need extension because they weren't pushed as much.’

Writing support software

Teachers considered Read&Write to be a useful tool but noted some limitations related to spelling assessment, lack of personality in the voice, and that text-to-voice could be distracting when used in a class environment.

Teachers reluctant to use Read&Write for English assessment were concerned about the misuse of the software by capable students.

‘My students found, especially the ones that are reluctant writers and are not neat, Read&Write good because it was able to read back to them what they had typed in.’

‘I think Read&Write is great. My students who struggle with stamina, I think it gives them some tools to continue and help them with their writing even when it's difficult.’

‘You know, if they're using Read&Write all the time, there's never going be a spelling issue. So then how do you report on that?’

‘It repeated back every word they were writing, and then when they realised that, a lot of them were touching all these random words and then it was saying like gibbly gibbly.'

School environment 

One of the most limiting factors associated with using inclusive technology in the schools was the availability of the infrastructure required to run it. Challenges with technology include: 

• insufficient iPads for every student
• parents having to install the app on personally owned iPads
• lack of access or reliability of wifi in some schools
• lack of technology support and infrastructure
• unsuitability of an iPad app for schools that use other types of portable or desktop devices.

‘Yeah, it's just the infrastructure, the technology.’

‘It would be awesome if it was made into a website, just for people that don't have iPads, because we do have one-to-one laptops.’

Future improvements

Teachers described the need for greater access to the student work, statistics on student work (e.g. progress reports), and the ability to incorporate teacher feedback. Teachers reported the app did not support high-performing students and needed variable levels of scaffolding. Both teachers and students would like a more engaging app that included more game features, a reward system, and an evaluative aspect. 

‘I'd have liked to have access to what they're writing.’

‘If the teacher can then put some feedback on there and then email it, that would be really useful.’

‘It's great for starting students, but the ones that can already do that need extension and more flexibility.’

‘I really love the idea of earning points, and someone suggested writing a sentence and people can vote. You could earn points and have a competition of who has written the best sentence starter.’

Limitations

Unavoidable limitations when conducting research in school settings include:

• unpredictable events
• time restrictions. 

In this study, time restrictions affected the length of the writing task and the number of training sessions the students received. Although NAPLAN marking criteria provided an ecologically relevant measure, it is designed to rate students with a broad range of abilities and appeared to be insufficiently sensitive to detect small within-participant changes. Some schools had limitations such as insufficient numbers of iPads and access to wifi.

Meet the researchers

Professor Suzanne Carrington

Professor Peta Wyeth

Dr Jill Ashburner

Dr Anne Ozdowska

All researcher details including names, honorifics (for example ‘Dr’), and organisational affiliations are correct at the time of the project.

Publications from this project

Ozdowska, A., Ashburner, J., Wyeth, P., Carrington, S. & Macdonald, L. (2018).  Overcoming difficulties with written expression: Full Report. The Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC). Available on the Autism CRC website .

Ozdowska, A., Ashburner, J., Wyeth, P., Carrington, S. & Macdonald, L. (2018).  Overcoming difficulties with written expression: Executive Summary . The Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC).  Available on the Autism CRC website .

Articles informing this project

Allen-Bronaugh, D. (2013). The effects of self-regulated strategy development on the written language performance of students on the autism spectrum: George Mason University.

Asaro-Saddler, K. (2016). Using evidence-based practices to teach writing to children with autism spectrum disorders. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 60(1), 79-85.

Asaro-Saddler, K., & Bak, N. (2012). Teaching children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders to write persuasive essays. Topics in Language Disorders, 32(4), 361-378.

Asaro-Saddler, K., & Bak, N. (2014). Persuasive writing and self-regulation training for writers with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Special Education, 48(2), 92-105.

Ashburner, J., Ziviani, J., & Pennington, A. (2012). The introduction of keyboarding to children with autism spectrum disorders with handwriting difficulties: A help or a hindrance? Australasian Journal of Special Education, 36(1), 32-61.

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2017). Australian Curriculum Glossary. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabil… .

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2013). NAPLAN 2013 Persuasive Writing Marking Guide, ACARA, Sydney.

Beversdorf, D. Q., Anderson, J. M., Manning, S. E., Anderson, S. L., Nordgren, R. E., Felopulos, G. J., & Bauman, M. L. (2001). Brief report: Macrographia in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31(1), 97-101. 

Bouck, E. C., Meyer, N. K., Satsangi, R., Savage, M. N., & Hunley, M. (2015). Free computer-based assistive technology to support students with high-incidence disabilities in the writing process. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 59(2), 90-97.

Broun, L. (2009). Take the pencil out of the process. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(1), 14-21.  Brown, H. M., Johnson, A. M., Smyth, R. E., & Cardy, J. O. (2014). Exploring the persuasive writing skills of students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 8(11), 1482-1499.

Burton, C. E., Anderson, D. H., Prater, M. A., & Dyches, T. T. (2013). Video self-modeling on an iPad to teach functional math skills to adolescents with autism and intellectual disability. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 28(2), 67-77.

Cartmill, L., Rodger, S., & Ziviani, J. (2009). Handwriting of eight-year-old children with autistic spectrum disorder: An exploration. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 2(2), 103-118.

Center for Applied Special Technology. (2015). What is UDL. Retrieved from http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/whatisudl

Charlop-Christy, M. H., Le, L., & Freeman, K. A. (2000). A comparison of video modeling with in vivo modeling for teaching children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30(6), 537-552.

Cihak, D. F. (2011). Comparing pictorial and video modeling activity schedules during transitions for students with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5(1), 433-441. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2010.06.006

Cochrane, D. P. (2012). Recontextualizing the Student: Analysis of the SETT Framework for Assistive Technology in Education. (Doctoral dissertation).

Cologon, K. (2013). Inclusion in education: Towards equality for students with disability (Issues paper). Children and Young People with Disability Australia.

Denning, S. B. & Moody, A.K. (2013). Supporting students with autism spectrum disorders in inclusive settings: Rethinking instruction and design. Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education, 3(1), 1-19. Retrieved from https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=11…

Dillon, G., & Underwood, J. (2012). Computer mediated imaginative storytelling in children with autism. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 70(2), 169-178.

Dockrell, J. E., & Connelly, V. (2009). The impact of oral language skills on the production of written text. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 2(6), 45-62.

Evmenova, A. S., Graff, H. J., Jerome, M. K., & Behrmann, M. M. (2010). Word prediction programs with phonetic spelling support: Performance comparisons and impact on journal writing for students with writing difficulties. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 25(4), 170-182.

Feder, K. P., & Majnemer, A. (2007). Handwriting development, competency, and intervention. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 49(4), 312-317.

Given, L. M. (2008). Purposive Sampling. In The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods (1st ed.). ProQuest Ebook Central: Sage Publications, Inc.

Glaser, C., & Brunstein, J. C. (2007). Improving fourth-grade students' composition skills: Effects of strategy instruction and self-regulation procedures. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(2), 297.

Grace, N., Enticott, P. G., Johnson, B. P., & Rinehart, N. J. (2017). Do handwriting difficulties correlate with core symptomology, motor proficiency and attentional behaviours? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(4), 1006-1017.

Graham, S., Harris, K. R., MacArthur, C. A., & Schwartz, S. (1991). Writing and writing instruction for students with learning disabilities: Review of a research program. Learning Disability Quarterly, 14(2), 89-114. 

Graneheim, U. H., & Lundman, B. (2004). Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: Concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse Education Today, 24(2), 105-112. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2003.10.001

Green, D., Baird, G., Barnett, A. L., Henderson, L., Huber, J., & Henderson, S. E. (2002). The severity and nature of motor impairment in Asperger's syndrome: A comparison with specific developmental disorder of motor function. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 43(5), 655-668.

Harbinson, H., & Alexander, J. (2009). Asperger syndrome and the English curriculum: Addressing the challenges. Support for learning, 24(1), 11-18.

Harris, K. R., Graham, S., Friedlander, B., & Laud, L. (2013). Bring powerful writing strategies into your classroom! Why and how. The Reading Teacher, 66(7), 538-542.

Harris, K. R., Graham, S., & Mason, L. (2002). POW plus TREE equals powerful opinion essays. Teaching Exceptional Children, 34(5), 74-77.

Hasbrouck, J., & Tindal, G. A. (2006). Oral reading fluency norms: A valuable assessment tool for reading teachers. The Reading Teacher, 59(7), 636-644. doi:10.1598/rt.59.7.3

Hasselbring, T. S., & Glaser, C. H. W. (2000). Use of computer technology to help students with special needs. The Future of Children, 102-122.

Hetzroni, O. E., & Shrieber, B. (2004). Word processing as an assistive technology tool for enhancing academic outcomes of students with writing disabilities in the general classroom. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 37(2), 143-154.

Horner, R. H., Carr, E. G., Halle, J., McGee, G., Odom, S., & Wolery, M. (2005). The use of single-subject research to identify evidence-based practice in special education. Exceptional Children, 71(2), 165-179.

Johnson, B. P., Phillips, J. G., Papadopoulos, N., Fielding, J., Tonge, B., & Rinehart, N. J. (2013). Understanding macrographia in children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34(9), 2917-2926.

Jones, D., & Christensen, C. A. (1999). Relationship between automaticity in handwriting and students' ability to generate written text. Journal of educational psychology, 91(1), 44.

Kaufman, A. S., & Kaufman, N. L. (2004). Kaufman brief intelligence test - Second edition (KBIT-2). Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

Kay, R. H. (2014). Developing a framework for creating effective instructional video podcasts. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 9(1), 22. doi:10.3991/ijet.v9i1.3335

Kushki, A., Chau, T., & Anagnostou, E. (2011). Handwriting difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorders: A scoping review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41, 1706-1716.

Langone, J., & Levine, B. (1996). The Differential effects of a typing tutor and microcomputer-based word processing on the writing samples of elementary students with behavior disorders. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 29(2), 141-169.

Larsen, S. C., & Hammill, D. D. (1989). Test of Legible Handwriting. In J. J. Kramer & J. C. Conoley (Eds.), The eleventh mental measurements yearbook. Austin, Texas, USA: PRO-ED.

MacArthur, C. A. (2009). Reflections on research on writing and technology for struggling writers. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 24(2), 93-103.

Maeland, A. F. (1992). Handwriting and perceptual-motor skills in clumsy, dysgraphic, and ‘normal’children. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 75(3_suppl), 1207-1217.

Mason, L. H., Harris, K. R., & Graham, S. (2011). Self-regulated strategy development for students with writing difficulties. Theory into Practice, 50(1), 20-27.

Mesibov, G. B., & Shea, V. (2011). Evidence-based practices and autism. Autism, 15(1), 114-133. doi:10.1177/1362361309348070

Nikopoulos, C. K., & Keenan, M. (2004). Effects of video modeling on social initiations by children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 37(1), 93-96.

Nippold, M. A., Ward-Lonergan, J. M., & Fanning, J. L. (2005). Persuasive writing in children, adolescents, and adults: A study of syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic development. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 36(2), 125-138.

Parker, R. I., Vannest, K. J., Davis, J. L., & Sauber, S. B. (2011). Combining nonoverlap and trend for single-case research: Tau-U. Behavior Therapy, 42(2), 284-299.

Robson, C., Blampied, N., & Walker, L. (2015). Effects of feedforward video self-modelling on reading fluency and comprehension. Behaviour Change, 32(1), 46-58.

Santangelo, T., Harris, K. R., & Graham, S. (2008). Using self-regulated strategy development to support students who have “trubol giting thangs into werds”. Remedial and Special Education, 29(2), 78-89. 

Scaife, M., Rogers, Y., Aldrich, F., & Davies, M. (1997). Designing for or designing with? Informant design for interactive learning environments. Paper presented at the ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.

Schneider, A. B., Codding, R. S., & Tryon, G. S. (2013). Comparing and combining accommodation and remediation interventions to improve the written-language performance of children with Asperger syndrome. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 28(2), 101-114.

Schultz, P. L., & Quinn, A. S. (2013). Lights, camera, action! Learning about management with student-produced video assignments. Journal of Management Education, 38(2), 234-258. doi:10.1177/1052562913488371

Semel, E., Wiig, E., & Secord, W. (2003). Clinical evaluation of language fundamentals, fourth edition (CELF-4). Pearson Clinical Assessment. Toronto, Canada: The Psychological Corporation/A Harcourt Assessment Company.

Sessions, L., Kang, M. O., & Womack, S. (2016). The neglected “R”: Improving writing instruction through iPad apps. TechTrends, 60(3), 218-225. 

Sherer, M., Pierce, K. L., Paredes, S., Kisacky, K. L., Ingersoll, B., & Schreibman, L. (2001). Enhancing conversation skills in children with autism via video technology: Which is better,“self” or “other” as a model?. Behavior Modification, 25(1), 140-158.

Shute, V. J., D'Mello, S., Baker, R., Cho, K., Bosch, N., Ocumpaugh, J., . . . Almeda, V. (2015). Modeling how incoming knowledge, persistence, affective states, and in-game progress influence student learning from an educational game. Computers & Education, 86, 224-235. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2015.08.001

Stevenson, N. C., & Just, C. (2014). In early education, why teach handwriting before keyboarding? Early Childhood Education Journal, 42(1), 49-56.

Stewart, D., Shamdasani, P., & Rook, D. (2007). Focus groups. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc.

TextHelp Ltd. (2015). TextHelp. Retrieved from http://www.texthelp.com/UK

Thomas, K., & Muñoz, M. A. (2016). Hold the phone! High school students' perceptions of mobile phone integration in the classroom. American Secondary Education, 44(3), 19-37.

Tracy, B., Reid, R., & Graham, S. (2009). Teaching young students strategies for planning and drafting stories: The impact of self-regulated strategy development. Journal of Educational Research, 102(5), 323-332.

Wallen, M., Bonney, M.-A., & Lennox, L. (1996). The handwriting speed test. Newington, Australia: Helios Art and Book Co.

Wood, D., Bruner, J. S., & Ross, G. (1976). The Role of Tutoring in Problem Solving. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17(2), 89-100. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1976.tb00381.x

Zabala, J. S. (1995). The SETT Framework: critical areas to consider when making informed assistive technology decisions. Paper presented at the Florida Assistive Technology Impact Conference and Technology and Media Division of Council for Exceptional Children, Orlando, FL.

Zabala, J. S. (2005). Using the SETT framework to level the learning field for students with disabilities (Revised) (pp. 1-4.).

Zhan, S., & Ottenbacher, K. J. (2001). Single subject research designs for disability research. Disability & Rehabilitation, 23(1), 1-8.

Use technology to support written expression

Teaching practice, for student years, helps students to.

• express ideas
• develop written expression

Supporting persuasive writing

• write persuasive texts
• organise thoughts
• work independently

Supporting handwriting

• Build handwriting skill
• Maintain motivation

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List

Improving the Ability to Write Persuasive Texts in a Boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Outcomes of an Intervention

Sergio melogno.

1 Department of Psychology of Development and Socialization Processes, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; [email protected] (M.A.P.); [email protected] (A.R.); [email protected] (T.G.S.)

2 Faculty of Psychology, “Niccolò Cusano” University of Rome, 00166 Rome, Italy

Maria Antonietta Pinto

Andrea ruzza, teresa gloria scalisi.

In this paper, we describe an intervention implemented to assist a 13.2-year-old boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder, G, without intellectual disability, aimed at improving his ability to compose persuasive texts. There was an initial assessment (baseline), an intermediate assessment after two weeks, a six-session intervention phase, and a post-intervention assessment. Our intervention applied two procedures. The first aimed at enhancing general composition abilities in terms of picking (P) ideas, organizing (O) notes, and writing (W) them down (POW), while the second specified the steps to write a persuasive text addressing a possible reader: a topic sentence (T), reasons (R), an explanation (E) for the reasons and the end of the sentence (E) (TREE). These procedures were termed POW + TREE. To analyze G’s texts, three types of measures were used by two raters at baseline, intermediate and post-test time: (a) the presence of the TREE components; (b) the quality of the reasons and explanations for the reasons; (c) the number of mental state terms. All these measures showed relevant quantitative improvements, as well as qualitative changes. In addition, when G’s performance at the end of the intervention was compared to that of typically developing controls, no statistical difference appeared. The results are discussed in light of the potentialities offered by the type of intervention described here.

1. Introduction

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD, henceforth) is an umbrella expression that designates a set of heterogeneous early onset neurodevelopmental conditions. In general terms, these conditions are characterized by well-known patterns of specific behaviors during social interaction and communication, and unusually restricted and repetitive activities and interests [ 1 ]. Prognostic studies suggest better outcomes in individuals with ASD who possess a higher intellectual level, relatively fluent language at the beginning of primary school, and reduced difficulties in social abilities. Actually, follow-up studies show a plurality of developmental trajectories in children with ASD (for a review, see Lai, Lombardo and Baron-Cohen [ 2 ]).

In the learning area, this clinical population, even without intellectual disability, generally shows heterogeneous profiles. For instance, in a study conducted on 100 adolescents (mean age: 15.6) by Jones and colleagues [ 3 ], in terms of reading and mathematics competence, the authors found “peaks and dips” in the profiles of the participants. In every participant, there was at least one ability that was markedly over or under the expected level. In a similar vein, Randi, Newman and Grigorenko [ 4 ], who reviewed studies on the profiles of readers with ASD, found that these profiles were extremely variable.

In the area of writing, children with ASD shown similar heterogeneous skills (see Zajic and Wilson [ 5 ]). Some children with ASD show well-developed writing skills and may even become skillful writers [ 6 ], while others manifest difficulties that place them below their typically developing peers’ levels [ 5 , 7 ]. In a recent meta-analysis, Finnegan and Accardo [ 7 ] identified six critical components in the writing abilities of individuals with ASD compared with their typically developing peers, namely handwriting length, legibility, size, speed, spelling and structure, while no difference appeared in sentence construction. The factors that might account for differences in these critical components are still under study. Nevertheless, according to Accardo and colleagues, and Zajic and Wilson [ 5 , 8 ], it is highly plausible that differences in the texts produced by individuals with ASD are related to Theory of Mind [ 2 ], executive function, fine motor skills and/or speech and language skills. Another source of variability could be associated to the type of texts these individuals are faced with. In particular, persuasive text seems to be one of the most difficult [ 9 ] due to the following reasons.

As the goal of a persuasive text is to persuade a reader about the value of some arguments, overcoming all possible counter-arguments, the writer’s concern is to argue his/her opinions on a given topic, provide reasons to support these opinions, and defend them. To sum up: composing a persuasive text requires the writer to adopt the interlocutor’s point of view and revert it by using even stronger arguments. To this end, the interlocutor’s arguments must be taken into account but also overridden by further, undisputable arguments. All these operations make the writing of a persuasive text a particularly sophisticated communicative task.

In particular, a persuasive text requires competence in the very object of debate, turn-taking ability as a component of Theory of Mind, an ability to weigh the various facets of the issue at hand, an ability to construct an appropriate synthesis of both the arguments and the counter-arguments, which, in turn, requires integrative processing skills [ 2 ]. In addition, there are also linguistic requirements such as appropriate vocabulary, particularly concerning mental states (epistemic and emotional–volitional words and expressions), inter- and intra-propositional cohesion, and knowledge of typical rhetorical devices in writing. For instance, a persuasive text must contain connectives such as “that is” (to be precise), “indeed” (to present evidence), “therefore” (to draw conclusions). Lastly, the sequence of statements is guided essentially by logical, rather than temporal criteria, which entails the use of other types of connectives (“in addition”, “as a consequence”, “in summary”, “overall”, “in conclusion”) [ 9 , 10 , 11 ].

Brown, Johnson, Smith and Oram Cardy’s [ 11 ] study, based on two groups of adolescents, one of 25 students (mean age: 12), with ASD but without linguistic impairment, and another group of 22 typically developing students (mean age: 13), apparently supports the above hypothesis. The participants had to read a series of directions aimed at writing persuasive texts on a screen. The main differences between the two groups concerned all production measures (examples the number of words), lexical and syntactic complexity, quality of the arguments, but not cohesion measures and writing conventionalities. The authors interpreted the lower quality of the texts produced by the participants with ASD in light of Flower’s concept [ 12 ] of “writer-based text”, as opposed to “reader-based text”. The former was thus termed because it does not take into account the reader’s perspective and is characterized by two main features: insufficient integration between components into a higher-order framework, which results in lists of details instead of a general concept, and insufficient clarity, due to over-vague and ambiguous referencing.

In more recent years [ 8 , 9 , 13 ], there has been a growing interest in the multiple procedures, often used in combination, which adults can apply to support the writing process in individuals with ASD. Concerning persuasive text, certain types of interventions have specifically aimed at inducing a shift from a writer-based perspective to a reader-based perspective, as indicated by Brown and colleagues’ study [ 11 ]. These authors suggested: (a) the use graphic organizers as tools to support the planning phase (pre-writing activities); (b) to teach how to graduate from factual details to higher-order concepts; (c) to teach participants how to weigh the strength of each individual argument as a basis for organizing the whole argument; (d) to provide participants with visual supports to recall the various steps of the writing process; and (e) to encourage students to ask for feedback from readers [ 11 ]. All these suggestions are also mentioned in the research synthesis by Accardo and colleagues [ 8 ]. Asaro-Saddler and Saddler [ 14 ], and Asaro-Saddler and Bak [ 15 ], investigated the possibility of enhancing this type of writing using the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) program, which was originally developed by Graham and Harris [ 16 , 17 ]. This program aims at teaching planning, stimulating a flexible use of strategies, and promoting both a positive attitude towards writing and a positive self-image as a writer. This study implemented two lessons and mnemonics that were also implemented in Asaro-Saddler and Bak [ 15 ]. The first aimed at enhancing general composition abilities in terms of picking (P) ideas, organizing (O) notes, and writing (W) them down (POW), while the second specified the steps to write a persuasive text addressing a possible reader: a topic sentence (T), reasons (R), an explanation (E) for the reasons and the end of the sentence (E) (TREE). The participants were three children with ASD, between eight and nine years old. The authors compared three persuasive baseline essays with three post-intervention texts and found evident improvements, both in qualitative and quantitative aspects, which gives support to the effectiveness of the POW + TREE approach. Asaro-Saddler [ 18 ], after reviewing 11 studies investigating the specific strategy of SRSD used in the writing instruction of learners with ASD, found that these students improved their planning ability, the number of written elements, and the content of their writing when using the self-regulated strategy.

In our study, we applied a program with a boy, conventionally called “G”, with ASD and without intellectual disability, but with clear difficulties in writing persuasive texts, as attested by his teachers. In this article, we will consider G’s change over six persuasive writing tasks: two at baseline, two after two weeks, and two after the intervention. In addition, we also considered the performance of a control group of typically developing children in the last two persuasive writing tasks, written at the same point in the school year, and compared G’s performance to that of the controls. While an increase in G’s overall performance was expected as a function of the intervention, it was more difficult to foresee whether there would be differences, and in which areas these differences might be found, between G’s performance and that of the controls who had not undergone any intervention at all regarding persuasive text composition.

2. Materials and Methods

To evaluate the outcomes of the intervention implemented with G, we analyzed his change in text composition, starting from an initial assessment (baseline), followed by an intermediate assessment after two weeks, itself followed by a six-session intervention, and lastly by a post-intervention assessment. We also compared the last phase of G’s production to the persuasive text composition of typically developing children ( n = 8) enrolled in the same school grade (mean age: 13.5 at G’s post-test time). The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome. Informed consent was given freely by G’s and the controls’ parents.

2.1. Participants

G was a 13.2-year-old boy at the beginning of the intervention, and was enrolled in grade 8 in an Italian public school. He had been diagnosed as a child with ASD without intellectual disability. A first diagnosis, based on DSM-IV-TR [ 19 ], was then confirmed on the basis of the DSM 5 criteria [ 1 ] at the age of 11. The instruments used were the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule—Second Edition (ADOS—2) [ 20 ], an interview with G’s parents and teachers, focused on the social and communicative aspects of G’s behavior, and his learning profile.

In the social area, there was a clear discrepancy between G’s interaction abilities with adults or with peers, with the former being more adequate. Among the reasons that made G’s interaction with his peers problematic, we must mention his difficulty in perspective-taking, his erudite language, and over-developed moral rigidity. G also developed specific knowledge on some topics, most often felt by his interlocutors as too sophisticated and cultivated. For instance, faced with a given conflict between his friends, G responded with a political reference, mentioning the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Internal Affairs Ministry, using the corresponding metonymical expressions (“Farnesina” (the British equivalent of “Farnesina” would be “Downing Street”) for the former, and “Viminale” for the latter). Lastly, in everyday routines, G would show some dysfunctional behavioral patterns that appeared difficult to modify.

As mentioned above, G’s intellectual level, as measured by the Intellectual Quotient of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th edition (WISC-IV) [ 21 ], was average (IQ: 107) although it was not representative of his performance across each index: Verbal Comprehension Index (126); Perceptual Reasoning Index (124), Working Memory Index (85), Processing Speed Index (71). In contrast, G’s General Ability Index (128), which is based on the first two indices, can be considered as representative. It must be noted that the weighted score for Vocabulary (18), based on word definition, places G in the very above average range. His grammatical comprehension score (108), as measured by the Test for Reception of Grammar, 2nd edition (TROG 2) [ 22 ], was also average. His sentence production abilities were very good (z: 1.45), as measured by Gugliotta and colleagues’ test [ 23 ], as well as his verbal reasoning (z: 1.17), measured by the same test, which assesses the capability to identify absurd statements in sentences, understand proverbs, identify a super-ordinate category, and differences in word pairs.

In his academic abilities, G showed some strengths and weaknesses. For instance, in a standardized Italian reading test [ 24 ], his comprehension performance was adequate both for accuracy and speed, reaching the 90th percentile. In contrast, G’s handwriting appeared slow, as measured by an Italian test [ 25 ] that evaluates writing speed, subdivided into three parts, each of which are performed in one minute: (a) writing the two graphemes “l” and “e” in italics in a continuous way; (b) writing the Italian word “uno” (Eng: “One”) as many times as possible; (c) writing as many words designating numbers as possible. The z scores were as follows: (a) within norm; (b) z: −1.43; (c) z: −2.09. Despite the above praxic difficulties in writing, G’s teachers reported that the child was perfectly able to compose descriptive and narrative texts using the font he had better automatized, namely capital script, while he was very poor at composing persuasive texts.

The controls were recruited randomly in the same classroom as G’s in a school attended by families sharing the same sociocultural background, without learning disabilities nor any other type of developmental disorder. The whole classroom had followed a standard school curriculum, without a specific focus on argumentative text as in the program implemented with G. Based on teacher’s quantitative assessment, the controls’ performance in persuasive texts ranged from adequate to good, and for this reason we did not assess their competence in this type of text at baseline.

2.2. Intervention Procedures

Our intervention focused on teaching two mnemonics implemented in earlier research studies with children with ASD [ 15 ]. The first aimed at enhancing general composition abilities in terms of picking (P) ideas, organizing (O) notes, and writing (W) them down (POW), while the second specified the steps to write a persuasive text addressing a possible reader: a topic sentence (T), reasons (R), an explanation (E) for the reasons and the end of the sentence (E) (TREE). As an extension of the explanation category, which represents the core of the argumentation process, we also considered counter arguments (C.Arg), i.e., those arguments that are in favor of the reader’s perspective. We will therefore describe the activities implemented in each session not as an abstract schema, but as the actual sequence applied to G’s case, namely: modeling (1), joint writing (2), guided writing (3), autonomous writing (4). Therefore, the POW + TREE procedures were applied flexibly as a function of G’s reactions.

Each session lasted about 90 min. In the first session (modeling), the adult illustrated the aim of the session and interactively analyzed the meaning of the expression persuasive text (PT), defined as: “A PT tells the reader what the writer believes or thinks about a particular topic”.

The adult explained and modeled POW and TREE using a thinking-aloud procedure. In the planning phase (P), the adult would make the following type of suggestion: “To write my text, the problem must be very clear in my mind…I must have some idea about the topic…and therefore, I might have to search for information in books, on the Internet, or ask the others, etc…”. In the organization phase (O), the adult would say: “To convince the reader that my opinion is a valid one, I must organize my thoughts in a logical manner: first, I will state the problem at hand and my personal opinion…then, I will give my reasons and try to explain them the best I can…and, in the end, I will draft a conclusion”.

In the writing phase (W) the adult would say: “Now I am going to write the text based on the POW I wrote before”. In this process, he would call into question his linguistic choices: “Will the reader understand my idea the way I phrased it?”, and justify them: “Maybe here it’s better to write “indeed”, because I wish to prove my reasons”, etc.

In this session, the adult composed a PT on how to persuade a frequent video game user not to stick to the screen at the expense of more constructive activities, such as social exchange with friends or reading interesting things. In order to model the second TREE component (R), the adult argued that video games can cause severe addiction (R1); that not every video game is as stimulating as other games in real life (R2); that excessive video-game playing can impoverish one’s social life with peers (R3). Once the text was complete, the adult and G identified the TREE components and transferred them into the graphic organizer ( Figure 1 ).

Topic sentence (T), reasons (R), explanation (E) and end of the sentence (E) (TREE) graphic organizer—Graham and Harris. Adapted from Asaro-Saddler and Bak [ 15 ] with some modifications.

At the beginning of the second session (joint writing—first step), the adult showed G the two texts he had written during the baseline phase and invited him to identify the TREE components. To facilitate the task, the adult asked G to fill the slots of the graphic organizer ( Figure 1 ) and, in relation to each component, G wrote the action that best fit the meaning of it.

In the third session (joint writing—second step), the adult chose a text from a book and analyzed the TREE components jointly with G in order to check G’s comprehension. Afterwards, the adult and G interactively wrote a further PT text. The adult supported G during the writing process, in particular when the child omitted something important, and also mitigated G’s negative thoughts, such as: “I really have no idea”, “I really don’t see how to do that”. To contrast the child’s negative feelings, the adult used self-reinforcing sentences, such as: “I remember once I could overcome more difficult obstacles than this”; “In the future, what I am doing now might prove helpful”. G had a list of these self-reinforcing sentences, named the “thought chart”, which he could consult at any time.

In the fourth session (guided writing—first step), G had to fill up his TREE graphic organizer by himself. The adult did not intervene anymore regarding the text, but stimulated G to follow the various steps of the POW procedure, and encouraged him to use the thought chart. At the end of the composition, G was invited to check the presence of all the components in his text, as represented by the image of a rocket ( Figure 2 ). In other words, G was told that the “rocket” could not start if the components were not all present. In the fourth session, G produced two PTs.

The rocket image to check the presence of the TREE components.

In the fifth session (guided writing—second step), G did not need to base his writing on the TREE graphic organizer anymore, because he had already memorized it, and rehearsed the POW procedure by himself. The adult just reminded G to use the thought chart. In this fifth session, G produced two PTs.

In the sixth and last session (autonomous writing), G wrote two PTs in a totally autonomous way, sometimes rehearsing the POW procedure by himself and recalling some of the self-reinforcing sentences of the thought chart.

2.3. Measures

To analyze the outcomes of the intervention in terms of the level of the PTs produced (G was allowed to choose the font he had better automatized, which was capital script), a series of criteria were applied, partly inspired by Asaro-Saddler and Bak’s study [ 15 ], blending quantitative and qualitative aspects. The topics of the PTs had been chosen based on the interests that motivated G, as reported by his parents, and those which could be shared with his peers: the use of mobile phones, McDonald’s restaurants, holidays at the seaside, bad experiences with animals, reasons for not going to school during summer and the use of social networks. The following is an example of directions for composing a persuasive text: “Your friend had a bad experience: he was bitten by a dog. From that moment onwards, he did not want to have contact with any kind of animal anymore. Try to write a text to convince him to approach the animal world again”.

Two independent raters, who did not know the nature of the intervention nor the sequence of the text composition, analyzed the six texts written by G and the two texts written by the controls on the basis of three criteria: (1) the presence/absence of the TREE components (topic, reasons, explanation/counter argument, ending); (2) the qualitative level of the reasons and explanations/counter arguments; (3) the amount of mental state terms.

For the first criterion, the scores varied depending on the components. For topic and ending the scoring was dichotomous: the absence of a topic or ending was worth no points, and the presence of topic or ending was worth one point. For reasons and explanations/counter arguments, the score varied as a function of the number of reasons or explanations/counter arguments provided by the participants. For example, one reason or one explanation/counter argument was worth one point, two reasons or explanations/counter arguments were worth two points, etc.

As for the second criterion, the qualitative level of reasons and explanations/counter arguments, a four-point scale (zero to three) was applied, one for each criterion separately. For reasons, a score of zero was attributed to no reasoning or irrelevant reasoning; a score of two was attributed to ill-focused reasoning, a score of two was attributed to relevant but non exhaustive reasoning, and a score of three was attributed to exhaustive reasoning. For explanations/counter arguments, a score of zero was attributed to no explanation or irrelevant explanation/no counter argument or irrelevant counter argument; a score of one was attributed to ill-focused explanation/ill-focused counter argument; a score of two was attributed to relevant but non exhaustive explanation/relevant but non exhaustive counter argument, and a score of three was attributed to exhaustive explanation/exhaustive counter argument.

To assess the third criterion, i.e., the amount of mental state terms, the rater had to identify and count two categories of words or expressions: epistemic and emotional–volitional. The score resulted from the total number of these words or expressions in each text.

• Epistemic verbs: “I know/I don’t know; I think/I don’t think; I believe/I don’t believe”, etc.;
• Epistemic locutions: “it seems to me; to me”, etc.;
• Epistemic nouns: an idea; a thought; an opinion, etc.;
• Emotional–volitional verbs: I like; I do not like; I want, etc.;
• Emotional–volitional nouns: pleasure; disgust, etc.;
• Emotional–volitional adjectives: marvelous; horrible, etc.

Table 1 reports the scores of all the measures considered in G’s PTs. We can observe that the scores related to the presence/absence of the TREE components increased from five to six from the initial to the intermediate phase and then markedly improved up to 20 in the post-test and, in particular, in the final PT, where G gave four reasons and four explanations. As for the scores assessing the qualitative aspects of reasons and explanations/counter arguments, there is an almost exponential improvement: 2–4–18 for the reason scale, and 0–5–20 for the explanations/counter arguments scale.

Scores of all the measures in G’s persuasive texts (PTs) in all phases.

Legend: persuasive text (PT); explanations/counter arguments (Exp/C.Arg); epistemic terms (Epist); emotional–volitional terms (Em–Vol); mental state terms (Ment St terms).

The scores assessing the separate amount of epistemic and emotional–volitional terms, and the total amount of mental state terms also show a very relevant improvement, where the total score increases from six, to 11, and then to 23, despite some discrepancies between epistemic and emotional–volitional terms in some areas.

To compare G’s performance in the last two PTs to the performance of the controls in the same PTs we applied Crawford and Howell’s [ 26 ] method, used to compare an individual with control samples that have modest N (e.g., <10). According to this method, the statistics of the control sample are treated as sample statistics, rather than as population parameters, and the t -distribution (with n —1 degrees of freedom) is used, rather than the standard normal distribution, to evaluate the abnormality of the individual’s scores. In this modified t -test procedure, the p value represents the probability of individuals in the population from which the normative sample was drawn of obtaining a score as low as that observed for the individual.

Crawford and Howell’s [ 26 ] method was applied to all the measures described in Table 2 ( t values and two-tailed probabilities are reported in brackets). As the standard deviation of topic and ending was zero in the control group, it was impossible to perform the comparison with G’s scores. For all the other measures, no significant differences were found.

Comparisons between G and control scores.

4. Discussion

In this article, we described an intervention implemented with a 13.2-year-old boy with ASD, G, without intellectual disability, aimed at improving his ability to compose persuasive texts, a pragmatic–linguistic ability that was clearly poor according to his teachers. This weakness was particularly striking in light of G’s erudite language and cultivated comments. His refined references to political institutions, presented as possible methods of interpreting very common social interactions, made his discourse difficult to understand, especially to his peers.

Our design included an initial assessment (baseline phase), an intermediate assessment after two weeks, a six-session intervention phase, and a post-intervention assessment. The intervention drew on Asaro-Saddler and Bak’s study [ 15 ], where Self-Regulated Strategy Development [ 16 , 17 ] was applied to enhance the writing of PTs. In our study, the POW + TREE intervention program was implemented in six sessions, subdivided into four phases: modeling, joint writing, guided writing and autonomous writing. To analyze the six texts considered in this study, three types of measures were used by two raters at baseline, intermediate and post-test time: (a) the presence/absence of the TREE components; (b) the quality of the reasons and explanations for these reasons and/or counter arguments; (c) the number of mental state terms.

The score assessing the presence of the TREE components increased from five to six from the baseline to the intermediate phase and then, quite remarkably, up to 20 in the post-test. A similar trend was attested in the growth of the quality of both reasons and explanations. Reasoning scores increased from two to four from the baseline to the intermediate phase and then, abruptly, to 18 at post-test, while explanations/counter argument scores increased from zero to 5 from the baseline to the intermediate phase, and then to 20 in the post-test. We believe the first increase might be attributed to the topic of PT4, centered on the use of the mobile phone, a particularly attractive one for G. In general terms, the nature of the contents most probably influenced the overall performance. However, this factor alone can hardly account for the transition from the initial texts, where the TREE structures were nearly absent, to the texts at the end of the intervention where these structures were very salient. In addition, we could observe a noticeable growth in the use of mental state terms, mainly on the epistemic side, i.e., from six words and expressions at the baseline, to 11 at the intermediate phase, to 23 in the post-test. It must be noted that, before the intervention, G’s mental state terminology was present but unevenly distributed (see PT3 vs. PT4), while, at post-test, it became both richer and better distributed (PT5 and PT6).

If we consider the balance between the structural aspects of the texts in terms of the presence of the TREE components, and the qualitative aspects represented by mental state terms, we can better understand the nature of G’s growth. In the very first text (PT1), the TREE structure is partial and mental state terms are rather poor and are only constituted by the use of epistemic words. At the other extreme, in PT6, the TREE structure is not only complete, but is also based on high-level explanations, and, concomitantly, the mental state terminology reaches its maximum, with a balance between epistemic and emotional–volitional expressions.

What deserves attention, in our view, is that these improvements in both structural and lexical aspects match a psychological shift, from a writer-based- to a reader-based perspective, following Brown and colleagues [ 11 ]. In other words, G showed good linguistic resources in his first persuasive text, but he did not use these resources to persuade a hypothetical interlocutor. At the end of the intervention, G put these resources at the service of a reasonment based on representations, his own and the others’. It is probable that the above psychological shift was provoked at a precise phase of the intervention, namely the joint writing phase. For the first time, G had to compare his point of view with that of hypothetical others, with an argumentative aim in mind and, to this end, he had to choose well-focused words. At the same time, the joint writing practice paved the way to the autonomous writing phase, where G was stimulated to produce texts on his own, and apply all the devices he had been taught. This gradual transition from joint writing to G’s autonomous production marks the transition from hetero- to self-regulation.

The following example (PT5, reactions after a dog bite), illustrates G’s ability to analyze the different facets of the same issue and ponder the validity of arguments and counter-arguments. “……Even after a dog’s bite, one can approach the animal world again (Topic). Not every animal behaves like dogs (R1). It has been a very rare accident (R2). The animal world has much to offer” (R3). Visibly, G provided a skilled argument and counter argument of the topic: (a) there are different categories of animals, which may differ in behavior; (b) a bite is not, per se, an absolute event and thus it cannot be generalized as a bad behavior; (c) animals are also capable of highly valuable behaviors. In addition, G supported his reasons with very appropriate explanations: “For instance, a tortoise or a rabbit are much less aggressive than a dog (in relation to R1). Moreover, dogs sometimes bite while playing (in relation to R2). People do love their pets because they offer them strong emotions: tenderness, love, friendship” (in relation to R3). On conceptual grounds, we must note how acute G’s counter arguments are and, linguistically, how finely he can modulate his thoughts. In addition, we must remark that these conceptual and linguistic means serve a socio-cognitive function: the hypothetical friend’s point of view is reverted into a convincing new perspective. Finally, in the ending, G recapitulated his argument in a very elegant register: “Therefore, even if you had an unpleasant accident, you should give a second chance (our italics) to the animal world!”. Therefore, G included the act of biting in the broader category of an “accident”, and categorized the invitation to try another approach with animals in more abstract terms, namely those of a “second chance”, which he underlines with a significant exclamation mark.

Comparing G’s performance in the post-test with his peers’ produced text showed no significant differences. Therefore, G’s best performance was close to that of his typically developing peers, at least on quantitative terms. Nevertheless, on qualitative grounds, we cannot help noticing that the controls organized both the initial presentation of the topic and the final recapitulation of the arguments in a more elaborate way. These children would characterize the very scenario of the hypothetical dialogue in detail, so as to render the whole argumentation process more plausible. In the ending, they would recapitulate more systematically the pros and cons, arguments and counter arguments with explicit reference to the “other’s point of view”. Another aspect that deserves attention is the extensive use of rhetorical devices—in particular, metaphors, idioms, proverbs and humor [ 27 , 28 ]—generally reported as a weakness in some individuals with ASD [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. For example, in PT6, (topic: going to fast food restaurants), we found the following examples from different participants of the control group. “Non è tutto rose e fiori” (English: “It’s not all fun and games”) (before introducing a counter-argument). “…riempiono (i fast-food) di felicità le papille gustative” (…“they (fast-foods) fill taste buds with happiness” (this is a totally unconventional metaphorical usage in Italian)). “Affogare la fame con patatine ed hamburger” (“To drown hunger with hamburger and chips” (also a totally unconventional metaphorical usage in Italian)). Both these metaphors are totally unconventional in Italian. Lastly, we will mention the frequency of explanations based on thoughts, opinions, and mental states. Ex: “Going to fast-foods; to get free from thoughts…” “…to get relaxed and distract oneself”; “There you can exchange ideas with your friends, which will help you taking important decisions”; “…to take your mind off”.

We believe this study presents some strengths. The teaching of POW + TREE followed a rigorous methodology, which was, however, flexibly implemented according to G’s reactions, phase by phase. A short, but well-articulated, intervention let written argumentative abilities emerge in a child who was perceived by his teachers as particularly poor in this type of writing. We must also point to some methodological weaknesses and possible perspectives for future research. First of all, although we could rely on teachers’ evaluations, we made no initial assessment of the controls’ capabilities. Secondly, follow-up testing should be applied to check the solidity of the results obtained by G. Thirdly, a future step of the present study could focus on G’s capability of producing other persuasive texts in the school context in order to check the generalizability of the outcomes obtained at the end of the intervention described here. Finally, we could consider the whole range of persuasive texts produced during the same lapse of time in both an individual child treated with the same type of intervention as G, and a control group. This would allow us to better grasp, beyond overall outcomes, the different trajectories of subjects with ASD, and those of typically developing children in completing this type of task. Although a case study based on a child with the characteristics of G cannot reflect the heterogeneous world of all individuals with ASD without intellectual disability, we believe it can shed light on the potentialities offered by the type of intervention described here.

5. Conclusions

In our study, we highlighted that writing a persuasive text involves abilities that go far beyond an academic task because they presuppose and, at the same time, stimulate the capability to think about the other’s point of view in relation to one’s own. We believe this capability represents an important form of reciprocity that can improve the subject’s adaptive functioning.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization: S.M.; M.A.P.; methodology: S.M.; M.A.P.; software: T.G.S.; investigation: A.R.; data curation: S.M.; writing—original draft preparation, S.M.; M.A.P.; writing—review and editing, S.M.; M.A.P.; supervision: S.M. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

This study received no external funding.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Your Internet Explorer 11 browser is not supported by this site. Please upgrade to a recent browser for the best experience.

Autism and speech

Published on 13 July 2017

Author: Kathleen Scaler Scott

Kathleen Scaler Scott is Associate Professor at the Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Misericordia University.  She explains what fluency disorders are, how they may present in autistic people and what speech and language therapists (SALTs) can do to assist.

Autism and disfluent speech

For decades, researchers have identified patterns of “disfluent speech” in autistic individuals, i.e. speech that exhibits deviations in continuity, fluidity, ease of rate and effort, with hesitations or repetition of sounds, words, or phrases. More recently, the nature and presence of this disfluent speech has become clearer. Three different types of disfluency have been identified:

Stuttering occurs when a person is clear on the words they would like to say, but physically has difficulty getting these words out. People who stutter have difficulty moving forward in producing their words and may: 

• repeat sounds(s-s-s-speech) 
• repeat syllables (ru-ru-running)
• prolong sounds (sssspeech, whaaat)  
• become 'stuck' (blocked) on a sound (s------speech)

During a stuttering block it will take time for the word to come out, and during the block struggled attempts at sound production may be heard, or there may be silence. 

Cluttering occurs when a speaker speaks at a rate that is too fast for their system to handle. Those who clutter sound fast to the listener, and listeners have difficulty understanding the person with cluttering due to the presence of at least one of three symptoms: 

• excessive repetitions of phrases, revisions of ideas, filler words such as “um” or “uh” 
• excessive over-coarticulation.  Sounds in words run together and sounds or syllables may be deleted. For example, “It’s like this” may sound like, “slikethi.”
• pauses in places where they would not be expected grammatically. 

Atypical disfluency

Atypical disfluencies occur when the speaker has easy repetitions or prolongations of sounds at the ends of words (speech-eech, light-t, misssss) or inserts a sound in the middle of a word (e.g. boy becomes (boy-hoy.).    Research is in its infancy regarding these atypical disfluencies. Observations among researchers suggest that these disfluencies differ from stuttering in that the repetitions often occur after the speaker has completed the word.    Whereas the individual with stuttering has difficulty starting a word, a speaker with atypical disfluency seems to have difficulty ending the word. Sometimes the end-of-word repetitions occur immediately (speech-eech) and other times after a pause (speech (pause) -eech).    The length of the pause varies between individuals, and some have been known to insert another thought in between the pause and the repetition (e.g., “Can you turn out the light (“Oh I like that book”; pause) -ight so I can go to sleep?”). 

Life impact

In addition to the outward symptoms of disfluencies, some speakers experience negative feelings and perceptions about their difficulties. Although these negative feelings and perceptions are most common among those who stutter, feelings such as shame, embarrassment, or fear can also occur in response to cluttering, or atypical disfluencies.   Additionally, speakers may have cognitive misperceptions about their fluency disorder, such as thoughts that they will always stutter when they say their name, or that they will never be able to be employed in a career that involves speaking. These negative feelings and perceptions can lead to communication avoidance. Individuals with stuttering, in particular, may exhibit tension in their face or other areas of the body when attempting to speak. 

Disfluency in autism 

Awareness of disfluency is variable in many autistic people, especially among those who clutter and/or exhibit atypical disfluencies. It is important to note that awareness occurs along a continuum. Each person should be assessed as an individual to determine which factors may be contributing to difficulties with efficient and effective communication and therefore may need to be addressed in treatment.    Speech and language professionals specifically trained in assessment and treatment of fluency disorders can help with assessing disfluency and any accompanying characteristics. It is important to remember that multiple types of disfluencies can present themselves in the same speaker.   Although research continues to emerge, all types of disfluencies have been found in pre-schoolers, school-age children, teens and adults on the autism spectrum. Disfluencies have also been identified across all cognitive abilities. The overall negative impact upon communication should be considered when prioritising goals for speech and language therapy. Communication avoidance and limits to social interaction should be red flags for prioritising fluency assessment and possible therapy.

How speech and language therapy can help autistic individuals

The first thing that a speech and language therapist (SALT) can do is to help identify any disfluencies by type. If there is negative life impact, the SALT can work with the client. If the SALT is not comfortable working with fluency disorders, they can refer the individual to someone experienced in treating fluency disorders.

• If stuttering, treatment strategies will focus on changing the timing and tension of speech.
• If cluttering, treatment will focus upon rate regulation through natural pausing and emphasis of sounds for clarity.
• If atypical disfluency, the proposed function of the disfluency will be determined and the corresponding underlying “root” cause(s) may be addressed. For example, if a client seems to be repeating the end of a word to hold their place due to difficulties with word finding, the SALT may work directly on word finding to eliminate the need to hold their place, as well as natural pausing (instead of repetition) to hold their place when more time is needed.

Further reading

For review of disfluencies in autism spectrum disorders, see:

• Scaler Scott, K., Tetnowski, J. A., Flaitz, J., & Yaruss, J. S. (2014, Jan-Feb). Preliminary study of disfluency in school-age children with autism. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 49(1), 75-89.

For therapy management techniques for cluttering, including cluttering in the ASD population, see:

• Scaler Scott, K., & Ward, D. (2013). Managing Cluttering: A Comprehensive Guidebook of Activities. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed, Inc. 11

For more information regarding assessment, differential diagnosis, and treatment of individuals with fluency disorders and other diagnoses including autism, see the forthcoming guide:

• Scaler Scott, K. (in press). Fluency Plus: Managing Fluency Disorders in Individuals with Multiple Diagnoses. Thorofare, NJ: SLACK, Inc.

Article sources

Related professional practice, sensory differences.

An interview with Peter Vermeulen

Eating disorder or disordered eating?

Differences between avoidant eating and anorexia nervosa

Cookies on this site

Our site uses cookies for key functions and to give you the best experience. Use cookie settings to control which cookies are allowed or click on Allow Optional Cookies to allow all cookies. For more detailed information please see our cookie policy .

Please wait while we check your current settings

• Games, topic printables & more
• The 4 main speech types
• Example speeches
• Commemorative
• Declamation
• Demonstration
• Informative
• Introduction
• Student Council
• Speech topics
• Poems to read aloud
• How to write a speech
• Using props/visual aids
• Acute anxiety help
• Breathing exercises
• Letting go - free e-course
• Using self-hypnosis
• Delivery overview
• 4 modes of delivery
• How to make cue cards
• How to read a speech
• 9 vocal aspects
• Vocal variety
• Diction/articulation
• Pronunciation
• Speaking rate
• How to use pauses
• Eye contact
• Body language
• Voice image
• Voice health
• Public speaking activities and games
• Blogging Aloud
• About me/contact

Easy persuasive speech topics: examples

309 good persuasive topics + resources for writing persuasive speeches

By:  Susan Dugdale  

Let's be right up front about this.

'Easy' and 'persuasive' are seldom paired when it comes to speech topics! Therefore, examples of easy persuasive speech topics are a bit of a rarity, and finding them can be tricky.

However, all is not completely lost. They can, and do, come together, but only if you work at it.  Let me show you how. 

What's on this page

309 potentially easy persuasive speech topics.

• the myth of 'easy' and an 'easy speech'
• what makes a successful persuasive speech
• how a persuasive speech topic can become easy
• additional persuasive speech resources

The myth of 'easy' and an 'easy' speech

That word 'easy' is so very tempting. It seductively implies something you can fling together, without a lot of effort, at short notice. 

An 'easy' persuasive speech is not going to take a lot of work to plan, research, to write, or to practice. Everything needed to prepare it will be done without hassle, because it's, 'easy'. The entire process will flow smoothly from start to finish without fuss.

When you present the speech, the audience will be spell-bound, riveted by your outstanding choice of subject and its treatment. In short, they will be amazed. Gob smacked * , and 100% persuaded!

* astounded, overwhelmed.

Return to Top

What a successful persuasive speech usually takes

To give a successful persuasive speech means being able to use a compelling mix of reasoning and emotional appeal to convince whoever you are talking to that your point of view is right or at least, worth considering. Generally doing that well takes thought and effort.

You need to have chosen a subject your audience will be genuinely interested in and to use just the right combination of logical reasoning and emotional appeal to engage and hold them from the first words you say till your last. That in turn means thinking your speech through carefully, step by step, and then doing whatever is needed to make it work.

Those things include:

• deciding on a specific speech purpose, (what you want people to do as a result of listening to your speech)
• research to pull facts together to ground your speech, to give you a solid platform to build your speech on
• understanding your audience so you know how best to shape your material to address their concerns
• sorting out any additional resources you may want to use (e.g. images, graphs, handouts ...)
• practice, and then more practice. 

You, see? Easy and persuasive don't seem to have a lot in common.

However, there is a way through.

How a persuasive speech topic becomes easy

You'll be glad to know there are exceptions. 

A persuasive topic becomes 'easy' if:

• it fits with the criteria you've been given, 
• you already know a lot about it, 
• there's a readily accessible, and credible body of knowledge covering it, 
• you're passionate about it, and
• you genuinely want to do what is required to do it well.

Difficulties miraculously melt away when you are totally engrossed! 

Below are 309 good persuasive topics chosen for their broad appeal, and because they are subjects people generally feel strongly about.

• 69 topics based on education
• 135 based on aspects of health : mental health , the psychology of motivation , autism , natural medicine , the dangers of alternative medicine , current medical issues

21 food themed persuasive speech topics

• 53 topics based on ethics, morals and values
• 20 economy themed topics  

Read them through, making a note of any that jump out and that you think you may be able to use. These will be the ones you'll find much 'easier' than the others because you're already interested! 

69 persuasive speech topics on education

Put a group of people together who share concerns about the direction society seems to be headed and it won't be long before the hot topic under discussion is education!

• that there is no such thing as the best form of education 
• that some types of education are a waste of time and resources
• that all education should be free
• that education should be paid for by those who want or use it
• that schools should provide experienced specialist support teachers to meet the needs of all their pupils 
• that no child should be denied an education on the grounds of gender, race, poverty or the legal status of their parents
• that online learning can never replace real-time and place class room learning
• that competition with other students is a necessary part of education
• that different learning styles need to be to be taken into account by teachers
• that a student who drops out of school has been failed by the school system
• that the problems created by illiteracy are bigger than we think
• that society benefits from promoting gender equality and women's empowerment through education
• that it is vital to teach media literacy to combat fake news and misinformation
• that scholarships for those who need them should be increased
• that a college education is not the right choice for everyone
• that private schools support elitism
• that the advantages of project-based learning far outweigh the disadvantages
• that having a bilingual education is an advantage in a globalized world
• that a good education is the passport to a better life
• that a school uniform helps make everyone equal
• that schools need to systematically teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• that teachers should be held responsible for the performance of their students
• that the students of a teacher who is enthusiastic about their topic will always achieve better grades
• that textbooks, and other school supplies, should be provided free of charge to those who need them
• that there needs to a comprehensive education program on consent and sexual assault prevention in schools
• that life skills, (how to cook, how to budget and manage money effectively, how to shop economically, how to garden...) should be taught in schools
• that making some school subjects compulsory should be abolished
• that coding and computer science should be taught from an early age
• that taking a gap year should be encouraged
• that an arts education fosters creativity and critical thinking 
• that alternative forms of education should be encouraged, and supported
• that teachers should be thoroughly background checked
• that teachers should have to pass a regular 'fitness to teach' test
• that the school leaving age should be raised
• that students should not be forced to take classes they do not want to
• that there are significant advantages for using technology in the classroom
• that school violence is a mirror of the society we live in
• that students who take part in protests are actively learning about their rights and responsibilities
• that grades do not reflect intelligence
• that truancy is powerful comment on the relevancy of schools 
• that homework, for homework's sake, should be banned
• that residential segregation has a direct impact on the quality of education students receive
• that prestigious schools maintain their prestige through only admitting students who are likely to succeed
• that schools should focus on the core subjects: reading, writing and arithmetic
• that parents should be far more involved in their children's education
• that a person who is homeschooled is not disadvantaged 
• that far too much importance is placed on IQ tests
• that corporal punishment should never be used
• that meditation and other forms of mindfulness should be taught in schools
• that single sex schools are better for girls
• that intelligence is more than quick accurate recall and clever problem solving
• that a holistic education is best
• that an education should be a right, not a privilege
• that it is important to teach students about empathy and emotional intelligence  
• that no girl should ever be barred from school because she is pregnant
• that there is no 'right, one way' to educate a child
• that bullying, in any form, by anyone, should be addressed immediately and appropriately
• that students need to be taught how to handle social media responsibly
• that the arts are equally as valuable as the sciences
• that an old-fashioned school curriculum teaches respect and values
• that it is advantageous to learn at least one other language, in addition to your mother tongue
• that the foundation of all education is laid down in the home
• that civics and ethics should be core subjects
• that extracurricular activities are an essential part of a well-rounded education
• that cheating on a test or in an examination is understandable
• that community service should be an essential part of education
• that financial education is essential and should be taught to all students in all schools
• that guns should never be taken to school
• that getting top marks in an examination is not the only way to prove a person’s intelligence

 135 persuasive speech topics about health

Health, according to the World Health Organization , is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity."  It's a huge topic! And that is an understatement! 

46 mental health persuasive speech topics

• that mental health should be taken more seriously by general health practitioners
• that mental health should be discussed in schools
• that mental health and physical health are interdependent
• that early intervention is important to prevent long-term mental health problems
• that good mental health begins with a good diet
• that being 'mad' does not mean a person is 'bad'
• that a person can learn to become more mentally resilient
• that to be vulnerable is to be strong
• that laughter heals
• that how the media portrays mental health issues influences public perception for better and for worse
• that mental health issues are passed down from generation to generation
• that mental health issues can unnecessarily limit what people choose to do with their lives
• that poverty and homelessness underpin many mental health issues
• that we need mental health screenings and regular check-ups to monitor our overall well-being
• that prolonged lack of sleep can cause mental health concerns
• that religious practices and beliefs can contribute to mental health problems
• that anxiety and depression need to be more widely understood
• that sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me is a lie.
• that vacations are essential for good mental health
• that learning to live with mental health is very different from suffering from it
• that acknowledging our own struggles with mental health makes it easier to understand other people's
• that teachers need training to recognize symptoms of possible mental health issues in their students
• that there is a direct link between physical exercise and mental health
• that substance abuse can mask mental health issues
• that green environments promote good mental health
• that bullying can have serious consequences
• that the real reason a bully bullies is never the person who is being bullied by them
• that the impact of chronic pain on mental health needs to be more widely understood
• that negative self-worth beliefs are reflected in mental health problems
• that treatment for mental health issues should be fully integrated with any other health service providers 
• that loneliness and isolation are often factors in mental health concerns
• that cultural difference can underpin mental health issues
• that being mentally unwell is not a sign of weakness
• that shaming a person for needing treatment for mental illness is both cruel and ignorant behavior
• that regular doom-scrolling significantly impacts on a person's mental health
• that overlooking symptoms of mental health problems is dangerous
• the pressure to 'fit in', to conform and to become someone else's idea of who you should be is unhealthy
• that seeking help for mental health concerns is a positive proactive thing to do
• that taking responsibility for our own mental wellbeing is vital
• that to be a little bit crazy is a good thing
• that understanding the cyclical link between addictive behaviors and mental health issues is critical to providing solutions
• that how we talk to ourselves, about ourselves, influences our state of mind
• that self-care and self-compassion are important for maintaining good mental health
• that the adverse impact of traumatic events on mental health is often ignored or underestimated
• that strategies for recovery from trauma and ongoing resilience should be taught in schools
• that peer support groups and community networks are an important part of a person's recovery because they  provide a sense of belonging and support 

For 50 more mental health persuasive speech topics

24 persuasive ideas: the psychology of motivation

Why do people behave the way they do?

What makes one person deliriously happy when they're in front of a large group of people telling them what to do and another person, utterly miserable?

Why do some people absolutely have to have the latest widget-wodget? And why do others not think about widget-wodgets at all?

The answers are found in motivation.

Motivation is the driving force behind our behavior. It provides the explanation for what we do. 

• that personal success is motivating
• that envy is a powerful motivator
• that 'Fear of Missing Out' (FOMO) motivates/influences people to do things regardless of whether they really want to or not
• that seeing success in significant others gives people the motivation to make positive changes
• that finding out what motivates a person at a fundamental level is key to persuading them to follow a certain course of action
• that social media is responsible for motivating people to strive for the unattainable
• that carefully selected strategies for motivating students lead them to excel in their studies.
• that fear of failure motivates many people
• that the desire to be better than others, and to be seen to be better, is a powerful motivator for many people
• that money makes the world go round: the need and desire for money motivates how we behave
• that desire for public recognition and acknowledgment is a powerful motivating force 
• that the possibility and promise of becoming famous and powerful can motivate all sorts of extreme behavior
• that knowing what you do is helpful, useful, and kind is motivating
• that mindfulness practices increase personal motivation
• that the desire to understand a particular process or to solve a specific problem is the motivation behind most innovative developments and inventions
• that setting inspiring yet realistic goals motivate a person to strive to reach them
• that fear of consequences motivates people to continue to do what they would rather not
• that curiosity motivates exploration and experimentation
• that being motivated by the acquisition of material rewards, wealth and possessions, will ultimately not be enough
• that fear and anxiety motivate aggression
• that serving your community the best way you can is motivating
• that positive self-talk increases and sustains motivation
• that people are happiest and most creative when they motivated by what they are passionate about
• that being genuinely and sincerely proud of oneself is motivation to keep ourselves on track
• that we need to understand and nurture what motivates us to become the best of ourselves

For more information:  Motivation and What Really Drives Human Behavior (positivepsychology.com)

10 persuasive speech topics about autism

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of mild to severe conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. A recent (2020) study revealed that 1 in 36 children (2.7%) in USA have been diagnosed with the disorder. And that number is increasing. 

• that promoting autism awareness matters and makes a difference
• that early intervention and treatment is important 
• that education for students with autism should be inclusive and supportive
• that the myths and stereotypes about autism need challenging 
• that inclusive hiring practices and workplace accommodations are beneficial for everyone: employers and employees.
• that families affected by autism need accessible resources, services, and support systems.
• that technology plays an important role in enhancing communication for nonverbal individuals with autism.
• that ongoing research, and funding, is required to improve understanding and treatment options.
•  that there needs to be a holistic approach to autism care.
• that individuals on autism spectrum have value and strengths just like any other person.

19 persuasive speech topics on natural medicine

The term 'natural medicine' is one of several used interchangeably to describe any medical product or practice that is not standard (conventional) medical care.

Other synonyms are:

• alternative medicine or therapies,
• holistic medicine which implies taking into account the 'whole' person rather than focusing on and treating isolated symptoms,
• herbal (plant based) remedies and,
• complementary medicine: a treatment regime that includes elements of conventional and alternative medical care.

'Natural medicine' polarizes people. There are those who are vehemently against any form of it and who will not consider any treatment other than what is current standard medical practice. Then there are those who resolutely choose alternative options. Either way, it's a fascinating field!    

• that traditional herbal remedies effectively treat common ailments
• that acupuncture is beneficial for pain management
• that practicing meditation and mindfulness improves mental health
• that chiropractic treatments effectively relieve back and neck pain
• that yoga supports physical and mental wellness
• that naturopathy should be used as a complementary approach to conventional medicine.
• that homeopathy is effective in treating chronic illnesses.
• that aromatherapy can relieve stress and enhance relaxation.
• that traditional Chinese medicine should be incorporated into modern healthcare.
• that good nutrition prevents disease
• that massage therapy promotes physical and mental well-being.
• that energy healing treatments like Reiki and acupuncture work well
• that CBD (cannabidiol) oil helps people effectively manage pain and anxiety.
• that the advantages of integrative medicine: combining conventional and alternative approaches should not be underestimated
• that herbal supplements support good immune system health.
• that holistic Ayurvedic medicine and practices are proven and promote wellness.
• that the common myths about alternative health care and its potential harms are overstated
• that acupuncture is an effective fertility treatment 
• that hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for public speaking fear, smoking cessation, weight loss, and more...

14 persuasive speech topics on the possible dangers of using alternative medicine

• that there are hidden risks in using unregulated alternative health care practices
• that there are potential dangers in relying solely on alternative health care for serious medical conditions
• that there are risks in self-diagnosis and self-treatment with alternative health care
• that misinformation is a problem in alternative health care practices
• that there are potential adverse effects with unproven alternative health care treatments
• that there are hidden financial risks with alternative health care therapies
• that evidence-based medicine is more reliable than alternative health care approaches
• that we need to protect vulnerable people from the dangers of untested alternative health care remedies
• that unqualified practitioners in alternative health care fields can cause harm
• that relying on unverified testimonials and anecdotal evidence in alternative health care is dangerous
• that there are risks of negative interactions with conventional medications while using alternative health care treatments
• that unregulated supplements and herbal remedies in alternative health care could be dangerous
• that alternative health care therapies for incurable diseases promote false hopes 
• that informed consent and transparency in alternative health care practices is important

22 current medical issues speech topics

• that vaccine hesitancy must be addressed and countered 
• that stigmas around mental health must be challenged
• that good accessible mental health care should be available for all
• that cosmetic and reconstructive surgery should only be for those who genuinely need it
• that comprehensive specialized mental health programs and support systems need to in schools 
• that the lessons for the opioid crisis must be learned
• that inequal access to medical services needs addressing
• that the balance between patient autonomy and a physician's responsibility needs careful monitoring
• that strategies for promoting healthy aging and elderly care are essential with an aging population
• that organ donation needs to be actively encouraged to overcome the shortage of organs available for transplantation
• that the ethical implications of genetic testing need careful consideration
• that healthy active lifestyles must be promoted to combat childhood obesity and the obesity epidemic
• that the increasing role of technology in healthcare presents as many innovations as it does challenges
• that pharmaceutical drugs need to be accessible and affordably priced
• that the impact of social media on body image need to be countered by actively promoting positive self-perception
• that developing countries need support to improve health care infrastructure and access 
• that precision medicine or personalized healthcare has better patient outcomes
• that we should encourage conversations about end-of-life care before the need for it arises
• that the legal and ethical concerns about euthanasia and assisted suicide can be humanely and respectfully resolved
• that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medicine presents great opportunities as well as challenges
• that improving obstetric care would lower maternal mortality rates
• that for the good of the health of the mother, abortion on demand should be legal
• that all tobacco products should be banned
• that the use of medical marijuana by patients in hospitals needs careful consideration from a legal standpoint

The subject of food: its cultivation, preparation, scarcity or abundance, generates passionate debate regardless of who we are, or where we are on the planet.

Have fun with these!

• that poor nutritional health in first world countries is the result of poor food choices
• that the use of unsustainably produced palm oil in food and other products should be banned
• that the benefits of eating locally sourced food outweigh the disadvantages
• that we must reduce food waste to lessen its environmental impact
• that eating fast food long-term is dangerous
• that a plant-based diet is healthier
• that the negative effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food system outstrip their shorter term benefits
• that organic farming has positive effects on health and the environment
• that nutrition education in schools helps combat childhood obesity
• that a sugar tax would help control the consumption of foods with high sugar content
• that factory farming is unethical
• that we need to adopt humane animal welfare practices
• that advertising and marketing of unhealthy food choices makes them attractive
• that food safety and strictly enforced regulations are necessary for public health
• that food waste should be against the law
• that food deserts (areas that have limited access to affordable and nutritious food) have an enormous impact on the health of communities 
• that there are workable, sustainable, affordable strategies to combat the effects of food deserts and food insecurity
• that the food we eat effects our mental as well as our physical health
• that producing food sustainably helps combat climate change 
• that there are significant health risks associated  artificial food additives and preservatives
• that genetically modified foods must be labeled for consumer awareness

53 topics: ethics, morals and values

The words 'ethics', 'morals' and 'values' are frequently interchanged as if they mean the same thing. However, although there is considerable overlap between them, they don't.

Values  are the core beliefs on which we center and base our lives. They are the values we have decided are important and can be personal as well as shared. Examples are honesty, service, cooperation, family, heritage, freedom of expression, independence, privacy, loyalty, integrity, or success. 

Morals  are based on our values. They elicit feeling or emotional responses in us. For instance, we feel good when we behave in accordance with our values, and bad when we don't. Like values, our moral codes can be either personal or shared.

For example: if one of our core values is the importance of family, then we will feel guilty and uncomfortable if we don't honor it. We make a moral judgment about our own behavior. 

Ethics : These let us know what is right and wrong. For instance, many professions have a code of ethics to regulate the behavior of their members. Examples are medical practitioners, lawyers, and teachers. They are rules based on a shared moral code as are the laws governing how we function as a society. 

Because life and people's experience of it, is not static, values, morals and ethics can change over time. And although there are some behaviors that have generally always been unlawful, (murder, fraud, infanticide...), what was acceptable and normal once, does not guarantee its rightness now.

For a fuller explanation please see this excellent article:  What's the Difference Between Ethics, Morals and Values?

28 topics based on morals and ethics

• that there are major ethical implications of the role of artificial intelligence in our daily lives
• that the unmonitored use of facial recognition technology is a violation of individual rights
• that corporations have a moral responsibility to address climate change
• that war is never right ethically or morally
• that the ethics of genetic engineering and its impact on society need careful monitoring
• that it is important to fully consider the ethics in the development and use of emerging technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrency need
• that the ethical challenges of data privacy and protection in the digital age must be met for the safety and security of society
• that the ethical implications of using animals for scientific research requires regular reviewing
• that the ethical and moral implications of our current abortion laws need thorough and careful investigation
• that the ethics of capital punishment need scrutinizing. Is it ever morally justifiable?
• that the ethical implications and long-term impact of gene editing and designer babies need careful consideration
• that it is no longer either ethical or moral to differentiate salaries or workplace benefits on the basis of gender
• that the moral obligations of healthcare professionals in end-of-life decisions need to be fully considered 
• that whistleblowing is an ethical way of ensuring corporate accountability
• that the use of drones and autonomous weapons demands a thorough review of the ethical considerations involved
• that an individual has the right to choose their own death. The moral dilemma of euthanasia, if there is one, is their own to solve. 
• that the ethical implications of the long-term impacts of genetic testing and personalized medicine need to be thoroughly investigated
• that social media platforms have ethical responsibilities in combating the spread of online harassment and misinformation
• that the moral issues surrounding the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports need to examined calmly and carefully
• that the ethics of factory farming and its impact on animal welfare need to be thoroughly and regularly reviewed
• that the ethical and moral implication of discriminatory adoption laws should be investigated
• that the ethics and impact of online advertising should be independently monitored
• that the ethical considerations in the allocation of healthcare resources should always play a major role in decision making
• that the moral implications of genetic cloning and its potential consequences will force our governing bodies to legislate against it
• that the ethics of global wealth distribution and poverty alleviation will always be in question while inequality exists
• that the ethical challenges of conducting research on human subjects is entirely justifiable
• that internet censorship is both sensible and ethical
• that it is ethical and morally responsible that children should have their use of social media and the internet monitored.

25 persuasive speech topic ideas on values

• that we must never tell lies to children except about Father Christmas, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Rabbit
• that honesty in personal and professional relationships is best at all times
• that embracing diversity is essential for a harmonious society
• that team sports build good character traits
• that empathy, (compassion and understanding), has the power to change lives
• that education is fundamental for personal growth and the progress of society
• that privacy and the protection of personal information matters more than ever
• that everybody is entitled to privacy, including children and teenagers
• that taking personal responsibility and promoting sustainability for our planet's environment is vital for our and its survival
• that actively advocating for gender, racial and social justice promotes equality
• that life was better before the influence of online social media took over
• that everyone should spend several months per year working for the betterment of others in a non-profit social service organization
• that regular acts of kindness and goodwill make a positive impact no matter how small
• that becoming self-aware increases our emotional intelligence, which in turn, improves our relationships with others
• that the lives of all living creatures should be valued and protected
• that we need to celebrate, tolerate and accept differences in beliefs, cultures and lifestyles
• that expressing oneself freely is more important than getting the grammar, punctuation and spelling right
• that integrity, honoring moral principles, in personal and professional settings, builds trust and respect
• that cooperation, volunteering and civic engagement builds strong healthy communities
• that everybody should learn to cook and clean for themselves
• that we need to value, understand and learn from our history
• that genuinely and sincerely acknowledging and apologizing for hurtful, damaging behavior promotes healing and encourages transformation
• that it is better to earn your own living rather than to be financially provided for by someone else
• that money is not a meaningful measure of success

20 persuasive speech topics about the economy

What is an 'economy'? What does the word mean?  I hear and read it frequently and its often in different contexts. 

For example, at my local grocery store there's a large sign telling me that buying 10 cakes of soap at a never to be repeated discounted rate of 33% off per cake is good economy.

On the news I hear that our economy is challenging. There have been significant rises in the price of food over the past six months and mortgage rates are set to increase.

That's two different uses. The first is implying that buying in bulk will save me money. The second suggests it refers to the ebb and flow of monetary exchange for goods and services in society. 

I sought a definition for clarity and found this:

"An economy is a complex system of interrelated production, consumption, and exchange activities that ultimately determines how resources are allocated among all the participants. The production, consumption, and distribution of goods and services combine to fulfill the needs of those living and operating within the economy.

An economy may represent a nation, a region, a single industry, or even a family."

For more information:  Economy: What It Is, Types of Economies, Economic Indicators (investopedia.com)

This definition covers the dynamic interconnecting web of exchanges for goods and services underpinning our daily lives, and that is the focus of the topics below.  

• that promoting entrepreneurship for economic growth has benefits
• that investing in renewable energy for a sustainable economy is important
• that there are both advantages and disadvantages of globalization on national economies
• that the impact of automation on employment requires carefully thought through strategies for economic adaptation.
• that multinational corporations need stricter regulations 
• that increasing the minimum wage to improve income equality benefits everyone
• that the advantages of a universal basic income for economic stability outweigh its disadvantages
• that government should play an active role in fostering innovation and technological advancements
• that financial literacy education benefits both individuals and the economy
• that promoting fair trade practices benefits developing economies
• that income inequality impacts on social stability and economic growth
• that free trade agreements have significant advantages
• that investing in infrastructure for economic development is important
• that implementing sustainable economic policies has benefits for long-term growth
• that government has a role in reducing poverty and income disparities
• that immigration and inclusive immigration policies have a positive impact on the economy
• that the advantages of austerity measures during economic crises outweigh the disadvantages
• that promoting small businesses is important for local economic development
• that investing in education and skills training benefits economic competitiveness
• that technology transforms traditional industries and creates new economic opportunities

More persuasive speech resources

Persuasive speech topics.

• 105 fun persuasive speech topics : ideal for light-hearted, informal speeches
• 100 non-boring persuasive speech ideas   - a 'tired' topic is not for you. Choose something fresh and original.
• 50 good persuasive speech topics with treatment examples to show you how the same topic is treated differently for different audiences.
• 310 persuasive speech topics for college : mental health, society, family & friends, animals, education
• 108 feminist persuasive speech topics : the top current women's rights & feminist issues

For assistance with planning and writing

• Writing a persuasive speech - a 7 step action plan that includes how to choose a topic, analyze your audience, set a good speech purpose, decide on a structural pattern (with examples) and, more.
• A persuasive speech outline example using the 5 step structural pattern: Monroe's Motivated Sequence. (With a free printable outline)
• A persuasive speech example using Monroe's Motivated Sequence

speaking out loud 

Subscribe for  FREE weekly alerts about what's new For more see  speaking out loud  

Top 10 popular pages

• Welcome speech
• Demonstration speech topics
• Impromptu speech topic cards
• Thank you quotes
• Impromptu public speaking topics
• Farewell speeches
• Phrases for welcome speeches
• Student council speeches
• Free sample eulogies

From fear to fun in 28 ways

A complete one stop resource to scuttle fear in the best of all possible ways - with laughter.

Useful pages

• Search this site
• About me & Contact
• Free e-course
• Privacy policy

©Copyright 2006-24 www.write-out-loud.com

Designed and built by Clickstream Designs