FORMATION OF COHERENT UTTERANCES IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH ASD

This article discusses how coherent utterances can be formed and strengthened in preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder by targeting the developmental building blocks that make discourse “hang together” in real interaction. Coherence is treated as more than correct grammar; it involves pragmatic relevance, shared attention, clear reference, logical sequencing, and cause–effect links that listeners can follow. The paper reviews typical coherence components in early narrative and conversational speech, explains why ASD-related differences in social communication often disrupt these components, and synthesizes evidence-informed intervention mechanisms suitable for preschool settings.