Samuelsson, C., & Ferreira, J. (2013). Recycling in communication involving a boy with autism using picture exchange system (PECS). In I. N. Norén, C. Samuelsson, & C. Pleijerts (Eds.), Aided communication in everyday interaction (pp. 127–151). J & R Press Ltd.
This study examined the types and functions of recycling (i.e., repetition, replication, echolalia) as a means for displaying or working to achieve intersubjectivity during interactions between a 5;8-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder and adults at home or at school while using PECS. The boy used both immediate allo-repetitions (i.e., repetition of another’s contributions) and delayed allo-repetitions of his teacher’s contributions presented in a PECS frame (i.e., “I want have X”) for meaningful communication purposes that were treated as such by his communication partners. His expanded revisions served as self-initiated self-repair when his initiation did not receive a response, as well as self-repetitions of other-initiated repair in response to requests for clarification. In response to yes/no questions, the student recycled adult utterances in place of a yes/no response or recycled the negation in adult contributions to respond to yes/no questions. Adult communication partners’ contributions frequently included recyclings to confirm the student’s contribution or to display engagement in the interaction, while expansions with the PECS framework served as requests for clarification or embedded corrections.