Christelle GERARD

PhD project funded by the Industrial Training through Research Agreement (CIFRE) scheme in collaboration with the Association Départementale des Parents et Amis de Personnes en situation de handicap et/ou de vulnérabilité des Alpes-Maritimes (ADAPEI-AM).

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) describe a group of conditions that affect the typical development of the brain and nervous system. These disorders may include conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other similar challenges. NDDs can result in difficulties with communication, socialization, learning, and understanding the environment, with severity levels varying widely.

In this context, compensatory reliance on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) techniques, which are non-linguistic and multimodal, has grown significantly. These tools, such as Makaton or the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), leverage multiple channels (visual, visuo-gestural, and audio-vocal) simultaneously to aid communication. In France, their use is part of the best practice recommendations of the Haute Autorité de Santé (2017).

However, some individuals with NDD fail to benefit from these communication aids, or these systems no longer meet their needs over time. As a result, they remain deprived of any means of expression, which can lead to the development of associated challenges, such as behavioral disorders, further hindering their social inclusion. Supporting these individuals with NDD throughout their lives presents a significant challenge.

Building on studies demonstrating the benefits of sign language acquisition for children with NDD, particularly non-verbal children with ASD (see Kurt, 2011; Adam, 2020, among others), this project explores the potential contributions of a language—French Sign Language (LSF)—to non-verbal adults with NDD for whom augmentative, non-linguistic techniques like Makaton or PECS have proven insufficient or ineffective.

Our focus will be on developing socio-communicative, linguistic, and/or language skills in non-verbal adults with NDD by introducing a fully-fledged language, LSF, in ecological contexts such as residential care facilities (e.g., medicalized care homes or specialized care centers). LSF maximally exploits visual iconicity and spatial properties, offering unique advantages. To this end, we will create contexts for perception, comprehension, and expression that are tailored to the needs and abilities of the selected participants, both through preparatory work and in-situ interventions.

A detailed observation of emerging general and linguistic skills, which are often "low-signal" in non-verbal individuals with NDD, requires an original and sophisticated methodological protocol. This entails interdisciplinary collaboration to develop new tools and/or adapt existing ones for both participant evaluation and the creation of teaching materials and procedures.

Our project integrates contributions from multiple disciplines and practices, including language sciences (linguistics and didactics), behavioral sciences, educational sciences, developmental and educational psychology, and specialized education for individuals with NDD.