[Reproduction of picture stories by autistic, learning disordered and normal children]

Autistic, learning disabled and young normal children (9 each) matched for mental age were shown 6 sets of picture cards and asked to answer questions about the pictures, arrange the cards in the correct sequence and tell the story. The picture descriptions and the stories the children told were analyzed with reference to the concept of story schemes to identify the comprehension deficits peculiar to the autistic group. The autistic children had great difficulty in making the correct associations between the different elements of the action sequences and in recognizing the motives of the interacting persons.