Impact of augmented reality on narrative-related outcomes in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a within-subject design.

Inroduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is commonly associated with impairments in social communication, narrative abilities, and socio-cognitive functioning. This study explored whether augmented reality (AR) could enhance narrative production, comprehension, use of mental state language, and reading-related behaviors in children with ASD. Methods: Fifteen children with ASD without intellectual disability participated in a within-subjects design in which they completed story retelling tasks under two counterbalanced conditions: a traditional paper-based format and a tablet-based format. Narrative performance was assessed through measures of microstructure, including productivity, lexical diversity, and syntax, as well as macrostructure indicators such as recall of main ideas. Oral comprehension and reading-oriented behaviors were also examined. Results: Results showed that the AR condition significantly improved socio-cognitive and behavioral outcomes. Children produced a higher number of mental state terms and demonstrated greater attention, persistence, and engagement during the tasks. These findings suggest that AR can function as an effective scaffold that facilitates the explicit representation of internal states while increasing attentional involvement. Discussion: Consequently, AR technology may represent a promising tool for improving language assessment and fostering social-cognitive development in children with ASD.