Bill Nichols and the Discourse of Sobriety - 2932 Words

Do mockumentary films retain any trace of the ’discourse of sobriety’? Throughout film history, documentary and fiction films have denoted the polar opposites of film form with each representing two distinct and separate traditions, the cinema of reality and the cinema of fiction (Doherty 16). However what was once a clear distinction has become blurred as the increasing popularity of mockumentary continues to weaken the assumed boundaries between fact and fiction (Sicinski). Prior to this ‘blurring of the lines’ the documentary genre enjoyed a privileged position amongst screen forms due its ‘the truth claim’ (Glick). Reflecting Bill Nichols’ observation that documentary employs the ‘discourse of sobriety’ (3), the truth claim is†¦show more content†¦Despite multiple documentary conventions being incorporated throughout the film, 24 hour Party People retains little trace of sobriety as Winterbottom’s use of interviews, direct address, archival footage and narration aims to portray a predomin antly fictional world as an actual real world, rather than depicting the world as it is. Although real archival footage of Joy Division performing at Wilson’s club, as well as actual footage of Wilson’s television show Granada Tonight is used throughout the film, Winterbottom ensures that such footage is subtly interwoven within sequences of fictional events thus eliminating any trace of sobriety that the use of real footage may have allowed for. Furthermore it can be argued that 24 hour Party People retains little evidence of Bill Nichols’ observation that documentary employs the ‘discourse of sobriety’, as a number of incidents are exaggerated throughout the film. For example, following a scene in which Wilson’s wife is shown ‘getting close’ with musician Howard Devoto, the cleaner present in the scene faces the camera, reveals himself as the real Howard Devoto and states that he has no recollection ofShow MoreRelatedMy Chosen Programme Of Gok Wan1460 Words   |  6 Pageswith visual images which is used when Gok Wan is not presenting. According to Bill Nichols the expository mode adopts voice-of-god commentary or voice of authority commentary, in this case voice-of-god is used because the speaker is heard but is not seen, instead there are visual images being used ‘the commentary is typically being presented as distinct from the images of the historical world that accompany it (Bill Nichols, Introduction to documentaries, page 107)’. The images are used to make senseRead MoreHow Do Documentaries Produce ‘Truth Effects’? Essay1379 Words   |  6 Pageswhich are often referred to as mockumentaries, also come within the category of documentaries (Corner Rosenthal, 2005), for example This is Spinal Tap (1984) and Best In Show (2000) Bill Nichols explains documentaries as, â€Å"One of the discourses of sobriety that include science, economics, politics and history discourses that claim to describe the real, to tell the truth†. He further adds despite the truth-telling characteristic a documentary film is known to straddle between â€Å"the categories of fact

Fast Food, Cause Effect Essay - 702 Words

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF THE POPULARITY OF FAST FOOD Nowadays, most people -especially kids and young people- prefer to eat fast food, such as hamburgers, pizza, fried food, etc. Why it has become so popular? It tastes better than homemade food? We do not believe it is only the taste the reason of the popularity of fast food. There are several reasons why fast food had become popular over the years. It is popular because it is cheap, quick and convenient to those who have a busy modern life. We consider one of the top reasons of eating fast food the modern, busy life that a big percent of families workers have. People who have a busy schedule usually do not have time to cook at home,†¦show more content†¦A study of The Annals of Internal Medicine indicates that more than 70% of men and more than 60% of women have extra pounds because of the consumption of fast food in large amounts. In kids the problem gets more extreme. If kids consume too much fast food they could have high c holesterol and obesity, then they would have higher risks of cardiovascular issues, diabetes and heart diseases. Parents should prevent those kinds of health issues in their kids because it will be reflected in them as adults. Food is not as simple as it seems. Once Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote â€Å"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are†. We, as human been should pay attention to what we eat because it will be reflected in the future. A lot of times we know if someone eats healthy by just seeing them, because physically they do not have a good body, healthy skin, or something like that. As we already said more than 50% of USA’s population eats fast food for many reasons: economy, quick service, etc., but the real problem come when we consider health. If People should care more about what they eat and try to avoid fast food, then they will have less possibility of diseases like high cholesterol, obesity, or cardiovascular issues and heart diseases. BIBLIOGRAPHY * Top Reasons for fast food. 2010.Show MoreRelatedFast Food1145 Words   |  5 PagesRamandeep Singh Mrs. Vinson October 23, 2012 English 1001 Essay 2 Draft 3 Fast food Obesity is an epidemic that is sweeping over the United States today. It’s affecting both adults and children. With the increase in fast food availability and a decrease in the time most Americans have to prepare nutritious meals at home, it’s obvious why more people are eating at fast food restaurants. Obesity is a growing problem in the United States and more and more children are being affected. But do uneducatedRead MoreIs Classical Sociology Still Relevant Today? Essay1219 Words   |  5 PagesThis essay looks at the argument taken from a classical sociologist called Weber, throughout this essay it explains rationalization and how it has become modernized using Ritzer to explain this by demonstrating his McDonaldization theory. The theory will be clarified by contemporary sociologists by looking at their strengths and weaknesses and how rationalization relates to a current social issue such as globalisation becoming such a problem in today’s society due to a wide population of fast foodRead MoreThe Effects of Popular Culture: A Look at Three Examples Essay1008 Words   |  5 PagesPopular culture has an effect on everyone’s life in this world. If we don’t look like the pretty faces our television and movies advertise to us, than our life tends to be more difficult growing up. Our country provides fast food chains that are deleterious to our health, but since corporations made them popular, the average American thinks nothing of it. Even though a lot of American popular culture isn’t the best choice in our lives, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Nora Ephron, and Eric Schlosser use thisRead MoreWhat You Eat Is Your Business Essay1140 Words   |  5 Pages In Radley Balko’s essay â€Å"What You Eat Is Your Business,† Balko argues that what we put into our bodies is our business, not the government’s, and that personal responsibility should be primary in our nutrition choices. I agree wholeheartedly. However, while I do agree that personal responsibility is paramount, in the new age of the Affordable Care Act (which had not been implemented prior to Balko’s writing), it is becoming hard to say that the government should stay out of my business, when healthcareRead MoreCauses, Effects And Solutions Of Overweight918 Words   |  4 PagesCauses, Effects and Solutions of Overweight Nowadays, overweight is a serious condition associated with body fat accumulates in people’s body and as a result it leads to obesity. Being overweight referred to a crucial issue for its victims have increased significantly for the past two decades. The occurrence of overweight has increased in all persons including children, old aged, and educated persons. Loss of weight is one of the challenges for many people in life. The causes of overweight includeRead MoreCause And Effect Of Obesity1477 Words   |  6 Pages Cause and effect essay Ahmad Elham ENG 111/FH21 Sunithi Gnanadoss May 2, 2017 After World War II, when the baby Boomer generation emerged, USA economy increased and people started utilizing fast food without a diet plan, without caring about nutrition in their food and the calories they were consuming caused obesity. At the same time, transportation and technology revolutions which meant to bring ease in nation’s lives, brought laziness and obesity. Ultimately, many others callRead MoreArgumentative Essays About Obesity1560 Words   |  7 Pagesthemselves to get that far into bad health(obesity)? (might be more of a Psychology question though..) A good one for looking at arguments relating to the fast food industry is Super-Size me that documentary, that might give you some more ideas about arguments, to look into some of the issues that Morgan Spurlock touches on, (size of food portions, advertising, health related problems of obesity, etc..) Obesity in AmericaWhen people think about health what usually comes up is cancer, or some kindRead MoreCause and Effect Essay on Obesity962 Words   |  4 Pages Cause and Effect Essay on Obesity Obesity is one of the main topics in America including one of the main reasons of death.-(begin with a subject) Detecting obesity is easy, but treating it can be very hard to do. Never have there have been so many teens and children not only overweight but obese. In some ways, it could be called the plague of the twenty- first century due to adolescents and teenagers indulging themselves in a plethora of food for every meal they haveRead MoreFood Is A Necessity And Without Food We Wouldn’T Be Able1345 Words   |  6 PagesFood is a necessity and without food we wouldn’t be able to survive. But what happens when that very essential thing we need to survive is not good for us? According to the website Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third of Americans have obesity (Adult Obesity Facts). One of the major reasons causing obesity is a poor diet, what some call, the Western Diet. In Michael Pollan’s article â€Å"Escape from the Wester n Diet†, he argues that people should give up the western dietRead MoreArgumentative Essay : Argumentative Synthesis1734 Words   |  7 PagesNordmeyer Ms. Allen 11/20/15 Essay #4: Argumentative Synthesis As we begin the 21st century, the preservation and concern with our world environment becomes more of a highlighted issue. Authors such as Michael Pollan in his article â€Å"Escape from the Western Diet†, and Jonathan Safran Foer who wrote â€Å"Against Meat† both mention in their essays the negative impact fast food has created on our environment due to the method of factory farming. Foer quotes using reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization

Social Identity Theory - 861 Words

Social identity theory, it is a person’s sense that is based around the group they are in, either by their personal identity or with different kinds of social identities. That is, people will try to improve their own image of themselves. The theory was proposed by Henri Tajfel. People can increase their self-esteem by both their own achievement and interaction with a successful group of people. This shows the importance of social belonging. This theory is based around three mental processes, social categorization, social identification and social comparison. People who are in a group or belong to and even assigned to the group, they would naturally think of the member within that group as the in-groups while others outside the group would be the out-groups. This can be explained by social categorization. People would normally categorize other people into different categories, including themselves. And bond between the in-groups would form. This however, would develop a discrim ination between the in-group and out-group where people would favor the in-group more. Social categorization can be seen in the study done by Cialdini et .al (1976). The main purpose of the study is to find out whether people would favor their own â€Å"in-group† members more than the other people, the â€Å"out-groups†. Researcher uses two methods. First, researchers find fans from 7 different large United State prestigious football universities in a field experiment. Researchers then observed the student’sShow MoreRelatedIdentity Theory And Social Identity1228 Words   |  5 PagesIdentity theory traces its root in the writing of G.H Mead, the American philosopher, sociologist and psychologist who says that the image or the feeling that a person creates for him or herself in a particular society is the result of other’s vision, which is created daily and is subjected to change. Richard Jinkens, the sociologist describes that social identity means who w e are and who the others are and on the other hand what the other thinks about themselves and others. Further, Mead elaboratesRead MoreSocial And Social Identity Theory1860 Words   |  8 PagesTurner, the Social Identity Theory (SIT) can be described as the comparison between the individual self and the social self. More specifically, it is the individual’s perception that is derived from their membership of a social group (ingroups and outgroups) or personal identities. The theory is divided into three different psychological mechanisms: social categorization, social comparison, and the tendency for people to use the group membership as a source to gain self-esteem. A theory is definedRead MoreSocial Identity Theory And Social Interaction Theory Essay1907 Words   |  8 PagesSocial Identity Theory In 1979, Tajfel and Turner are recognized for the development of social identity theory (SIT) (Tajfel Turner, 1979). Through earlier studies, Tajfel attempted to understand mechanisms that lead to group members to discriminate against non-group members, which lead to evolution of SIT (Hogg, van Knippenberg, Rast, 2012). The Tajfel and Turner developed SIT with the purpose of understanding social group discrimination (Tajfel Turner, 1979). SIT is based on three concepts:Read MoreAssignment On Social Identity Theory Essay1158 Words   |  5 Pages TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES MUMBAI GROUP WORK ASSIGNMENT ON SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY Submitted to: Professor Vijay Raman Enrollment No.: M2015CF026 SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY The Social Identity Theory was developed by Tajfel and Turner in 1979. The theory was originally developed to understand the psychological basis of intergroup discrimination. Tajfel in 1971 attempted to identify the  minimal  conditions that would lead members of one group to discriminate in favour of the in groupRead MoreOutline Of Social Identity Theory1278 Words   |  6 PagesOutline social identity theory and with reference to recent research critically evaluate the strategies individuals or groups might use to achieve a positive social identity. Social Identity Theory (SIT) is a relational term, defining who we are as a function of our similarities and differences with others. It is shared with others and provides a basis for shared social action and the meanings associated with any social identity are products of our collective history and present. Therefore Social identityRead MoreNotes On Social Identity Theory1191 Words   |  5 PagesContextualizing BIRG: Social Identity Theory SIT (Tajfel et al., 1971; Tajfel Turner, 1979) has been explained briefly in the Introduction, which provided an overview on the nature of its construction (Galang et al., 2015) and its implications on ingroup inclusion, intergroup behavior, and self-esteem (Brewer Yuki, 2007). This theory is further discussed here, particularly its conception of group identification and esteem, to give context to BIRG and the framework of analysis that will be usedRead MoreTheories Of Emotion, Relational Theory, And Social Identity Theory2235 Words   |  9 Pageslosses she experiences, Dasani exhibits behavior that can be explained with four theories. These theories are Piaget’s Cognitive Theory, Physiological Theories of Emotion, Relational Theory, and Social Identity Theory. Synopsis of Health and Wealth Theory When dealing with the health care system, the socioeconomic status of an individual can influence the quality of service they receive. The Health and Wealth theory shows that the amount of money someone has determines how well they are treatedRead MoreConsequences of Social Categorization and Social Identity Theories1929 Words   |  8 Pages Consequences of Social Categorization and Social Identity Theories Vernon Smith BA426 Managing Cultural Diversity vsmith003@regis.edu Consequences of Social Categorization and Social Identity Theories Introduction In the modern world, workforce diversity has developed to be among the most imperative elements. Many organizations including Apple Inc. and all over the world have employed diversity managers to help develop effective workforce diversification (Podsiadlowski et al., 2013). TheRead MoreCritically Evaluate Social Identity Theory2060 Words   |  9 PagesLauren Thom, 3215788. Psyc 315: Social Psychology 2,046 words. Critically evaluate Social Identity Theory. Who are you? Who am I? These are questions that we all ponder at some point or another in our lives. As human beings we are seemingly inundated with the desire to classify and categorise. We are constantly defining and analysing the differences that we observe in the world, it seems only natural that we would apply this method of classification to our position within ourRead MoreSocial Identity Theory And Theories Surrounding Intergroup Relations2244 Words   |  9 Pagesfocuses on ideas presented from Social Identity Theory and theories surrounding intergroup relations. The main ideas from the theories being that people conform with others beliefs, usually following the opinions of the group to which they belong. Social Identity Theory, written by Tajfel and Turner in 1986 considers how people think and act towards a social group, and this is believed to mainly recognise social cognitive theories to be the main grounding for the theory. Turner in 1982 suggested a

The Central Ideas Of Treatment Approach - 847 Words

The Transpersonal theory has evolved over the past two decades, driving the desire to learn more about the higher self. â€Å"A person doesn’t have to be sick in order to get better† (Tuner, 2011, p.551,) The history and development will be discussed within the essay. Central ideas of treatment approach will be included. Strengths and weaknesses of the Transpersonal Theory within social work will be addressed in great detail. There will be an assessment of a case and the client within the micro system. The major goals and expected outcomes within the micro system will be listed. To help understand how practitioner work with clients the intervention techniques will be addressed. To give a holistic view of the Transpersonal Theory the ethical issues implicit in the approach will be stated. Finally, the application of professional self, and the use of the model with the micro system. History and Development The Transpersonal Theory help broaden the way of thinking for many practitioners therefore creating the need to greater explore the higher self. â€Å"It was in the late 19th century the thrust of social work interventions shifted toward a psychosocial approach with an emphasis on internal as well as environmental factors† (Tuner, 2011, p.547). It was 1967, when a small group gathered to create new psychology that would honor the whole spectrum of the human experience, including various non-ordinary states of consciousness. The group included, Abraham Maslow, Anthony Sutich,Show MoreRelatedExplain how the managerial ideas of Taylor and Fayol differ from Mayo. Assess the relevance of Classical Management theorists to the management of contemporary organisations1292 Words   |  6 Pagesof M Weber); - Administrative Management (associated with the work of H Fayol). The Human Relations approach is associated with the work of E Mayo and F Roethlisberger. Immediately, we can see a difference between the ideas of Taylor and Fayol and those of Mayo as they are even classified differently. In order to explain how these managerial ideas differ, I will first explain what those ideas were. Taylor Taylor developed the four scientific principles of management: 1. Development of a trueRead MoreDr. Decker s For Restorative Treatment1313 Words   |  6 Pagesrestorative treatment. She needs many dental procedures to repair her deteriorating oral health, including bone loss, receiving partial dentures of both maxillary and mandibular arches, as well as extraction of #7, 8, 9, and 10 (all permanent maxillary incisors). As a temporary solution, a provisional splint is added to allow the teeth to garner support from neighboring ones during which time periodontal treatment and surgery can be performed. She ends up postponing the needed periodontal treatment and fracturesRead MoreStrengths And Weaknesses Of Postmodernism713 Words   |  3 PagesA worldwide movement encompassing all disciplines, postmodernism arose in response to the dominant idea of modernism, which is described as the social condition of living in an urban, fast-changing progressivist world governed by instrumental reason. Postmodernism or postculturalism, a term often also used, offer a very different and much more radical version of constructivism. They are strongly opposed to the universalist premises of realism, liberalism, Marxism and post-Marxism, and are highlyRead MoreCase Study : Voyager Therapeutics, Inc.822 Words   |  4 PagesVOYAGER THERAPEUTICS, INC. is a growing Clinical stage Gene Therapy Company. The main focus of this company is based on developing life changing treatments for patients suffering from various types of disease associated with central nervous system or CNS. The gene therapy is called AAV or adeno-associated virus, which is a therapeutic approach to alter the expression of a specific protein, thereby reducing the symptom experienced by patients, and that, will have a clinically meaningful impact onRead MoreEnhancing the Effectiveness of a Therapeutic Session: A Case Analysis1549 Words   |  6 Pagesapproaches and theories is critical in examining the development of th e individuals problem and how it can be solved. Actually, the ideas underlying the development of problems and how these problems can be solved are usually known as the therapists theoretical orientation. The theoretical orientation is the fundamental guiding principle in organizing a treatment and will offer information on how the therapist will interact with the individual. Daniels situation is an example of a case thatRead More Sex Addiction Essays1379 Words   |  6 Pagesappetites resulting in severe consequences for themselves and others. Sex addiction is a lifelong problem that needs to be contained in order to avoid continued complications. Shame, secretiveness, and abusiveness in a person accompany the addiction. Treatment is available in different forms; however, because this subject is relatively new a cure is not known. An important question is arising around this subject is whether or not sex addiction results from nature or nurture. Patrick Carnes, Ph.D., theRead MoreEssay on Understanding Consciousness1728 Words   |  7 Pageshuman nervous system and behavior, and an evaluation of historical figures in the field of physiological psychology The Biopsychological Approach to Understanding Consciousness The process of understanding awareness can be complex. Understanding that there are different spectrums of consciousness and that each type represents different principles is the best approach to understanding awareness. As the endocrine system regulates hormones in the body, chemical fluctuations play a major role in the physiologicalRead MoreSimilarities And Differences Between Ancient Greece And Greek Medicine1675 Words   |  7 Pagesto their geography. Many scholars believe that the Egyptians power structure, which was reflected in the erection of their monumental structures, was due to the easy access of resources and the abundant Nile. This enabled them to develop a strong central bureaucratic class and government system. These differences can also be attributed to the disparities in their religions and belief systems. As Egyptians had a very strong belief in the afterlife and built pyramids to help their dead find a betterRead MoreProcess of Involuntary Commitment to a Psyc hiatric Facility1306 Words   |  5 PagesWithin contemporary society, the legal process of placing an individual into a detention or psychatric treatment facility is called civil commitment. Typically, this is reserved for the mentally ill, or those people who have satisfied the Courts rule that they are a danger to others, or to themselves. Society realizes that, at times, an individual may pose a danger to themselves or to society and be unable to make rational decisions. In fact, in most jurisdictions in the modern world, involuntaryRead MoreThe Case Of Epperson V. Arkansas953 Words   |  4 Pagesascended or descended from a lower order of animal.† Forty years later, the case of Epperson v. Arkansas (1968) was argued before the Supreme Court. The case originated in 1965, when Susan Epperson was hired to teach 10th grade biology at Little Rock Central High School. The local school board had recently adopted, as a part of an approved curriculum, a new biology textbook tha t included a section on evolution. Immediately, Epperson recognised her dilemma; that to teach the required curriculum would put

Relationship Between Inflation And Unemployment - Sample Solution

Questions: 1. Explain whether there is a relationship between inflation and unemployment. Should government interfere and reduce inflation and unemployment? provide real life examples.2. Using your home country as a case study outline and analyse inflation, unemployment and growth trends. Identify what range of the aggregate supply curve your country is operating in.3. Explain how monetary policy can influence an economy, including the exchange rate and employment levels. Answers: Introduction In the past few years, the economic condition has encountered critical changes. Obviously, the connections between various countries have expanded enormously, particularly after the wave of globalization. Hence, the risk or danger associated with financial breakdown in a specific nation may affect upon different nations including that of the increment on the financial connections among nations. It has been observed that the global financial crisis during 2008 to 2009 had created significant impact on the economies of the individual countries by virtue of the interconnection (Mankiw, 2007). Generally, there are various elements that prompt significant effects upon the development and growth of the nations, and all these components are also referred as the indicators of the financial performance. All these components include the inflation, rate of unemployment, growth rate of GDP, output of the economy, per capita income and so forth. Each of the components indicates the performance of the economy. The legislature is additionally in charge of embracing distinctive measures in setting to budgetary strategies to upgrade the monetary conditions (Krugman and Wells, 2009). The key goal of this paper is to reflect upon the connection between distinctive markers and additionally the measures which are being adopted by the individual government for enhancing the states of economy. 1. Relationship between Inflation and Unemployment It is evident that the two major indicators of the economic performance a nation are inflation and rate of unemployment. Inflation can be defined as the increase in the price level in a particular economy. On the other hand, unemployment can be described as the number or percentage of people who are searching for job in order to earn a livelihood but unable to get one. The people who are looking for jobs but cannot get an opportunity to work are referred as unemployed people (Lehmann, 2011). The annual increment in the rate of unemployment in the world is considered for calculating the overall global rate of unemployment. It has been found that the annual increment in the rate of unemployment across the world leads to growing number of unemployed people which is not at all desired as it affects the economy in a negative way. Hence, it can be stated that inflation rate and unemployment rate are the major two indicators of the economy (Mankiw, 2007). High rate of inflation is not desir able for the nation as it leads to significant increase in the price of goods and services. Hence, the suffering of common people increases. Additionally, high rate of unemployment is also not appreciated by the society as the burden of unemployed people increases (Hubbard and O'Brien, 2006). Thus, high level of inflation as well as unemployment has a negative impact on the economy of the nation. Various research papers have provided evidence regarding the significant trade off which exist between inflation rate and unemployment rate of the economy. It has been found that there is a negative relationship between the unemployment rate and inflation (Lanne and Luoto, 2013). The inverse association between these two factors can be demonstrated with the aid of Philips curve. In short run, if inflation rate increases, unemployment rate declines. Hence, it can be stated that there is a negative relationship between unemployment rate and inflation in the economy. However, this relationship does not hold in long run. The Philips curve has been illustrated below in order to depict the relationship between unemployment rate and inflation of an economy (Krugman and Wells, 2009). (Phillips Curve, Source: (Hubbard and O'Brien, 2006)) From the above diagram, it can be implied that the unemployment rate can be decreased in a nation when the government adopts effective policy for managing inflation. Hence, it is true that the inflation cannot be completely undesired in an economy. Economists have segmented inflation into two categories, demand pull and cost push inflation. Demand pull inflation occurs when the total demand of the economy enhances which means the demand curve shift to the right side. Consequently, with the increase in demand, the price of the products and services will increase in the economy (KELLY, 2000). The production will also increase and the business organization will require employing more workers in order to satisfy the growing level of demand(Dorul and Soytas, 2010). Hence, the unemployment rate will be declined. In the following diagram, the impact of demand pull inflation has been represented: (Source: (Abel and Bernanke, 2001)) According to Milton Friedman, the Philips Curve holds only in short run. In case of long run, the policy of inflation will not address the issues regarding the unemployment of the nation. Government Intervention It has been recognized that high level of unemployment as well as inflation are not desired within an economy (Inflation and unemployment in economies on the move, 2000). Nonetheless, a trade off is found to be existing between inflation and unemployment which implies that increase in one of the variables will decline the other. Consequently, imperatively successful measures are to be taken for keeping up the relentless parity between unemployment and inflation, and in this way it helps in amplification of the financial and additionally social welfare inside an economy. Thus, it can be stated that the government intervention is significant for executing diverse policies and procedures for declining the level of unemployment in an economy. This intervention is found to be very useful in keeping up the rate of inflation within the tolerance level. Government may mediate inside an economy with the backing of the different financial policies and procedures. Tax rate and government expend itures are considered to be monetary instruments. Again, the fiscal measures include the change in interest rate, change in the tax rate etc. These may be used for enhancing or diminishing the unemployment and inflation rate. In this context, various examples can be cited which has demonstrated that the negative association between the inflation rate and rate of unemployment. In the following diagram, the inflation and unemployment rate of Australia from 2002 to 2013 has been presented to illustrate its trend: (Unemployment rate and Inflation of Australia form 2002 to 2013, Source: Created by Author) It can be observed from the above graph that increases in the rate of inflation leads to decline in the unemployment rate in Australia. However, some exceptions are also observed which can be explained with the aid of other economic factors. The government of Australia has been undertaking effective measures which helped in controlling both the inflation and unemployment rate in the economy. 2. Inflation, Unemployment and Growth Trend in Australia It has been observed that in various nations, inflation and rate of unemployment is considered to be the major tow indicators of the economic performance of the nation. The growth and development of the nation is significantly reliant upon these variables. It has been found that an association is prominent among the inflation rate, growth of the economy and rate of unemployment (Warne and Vredin, 2006). In this section, the focus will be shifted towards the historical data regarding inflation rate, growth rate and rate of unemployment in Australia for establishing the relationship between these three factors. It has been found that the Australia is one of the most important developed nations off the world. The interconnection with other countries is found to be significant for the economy of this nation. It has been observed that Australia has been maintain good trade relationship with the other nations and focused on enhancing foreign direct investments (Warne and Vredin, 2006). Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and Consumer Price Index (CPI) are considered for estimating the inflation of the country. It has been found that the inflation rate is 1.70%. In the previous quarter, the inflation rate has dropped to 2.3% due to sharp decline in the price of electricity facilitated by abolition of the carbon tax. From the following table, it has been found that in the latest quarter price of the food has declined. According to the Reserve Bank of Australia, the targeted range for the annual inflation is estimated to be 2 to 3 %. The present rate of inflation demonstrates that in order to meet the inf lation target in the following years, the central bank of Australia will focus on changing the rate of interest (Creighton, 2014). Australia Prices Last Previous Highest Lowest Unit Inflation Rate 1.70 2.30 23.90 -1.30 percent Inflation Rate Mom 0.20 0.50 7.55 -1.54 percent Consumer Price Index CPI 106.60 106.40 106.60 4.20 Index Points Core Inflation Rate 2.10 2.11 7.60 0.87 percent Core Consumer Prices 107.10 106.50 107.10 43.40 Index Points GDP Deflator 101.20 101.60 101.80 6.70 Index Points Producer Prices 104.00 103.80 104.00 70.70 Index Points Producer Prices Change 1.20 2.30 6.30 -1.50 percent Export Prices 85.30 85.30 112.20 16.30 Index Points Import Prices 105.20 104.30 116.30 51.50 Index Points Food Inflation 2.00 3.50 20.60 -3.20 percent (Source: (Tradingeconomics.com, 2015)) In the following diagram, the historical rate and trend of the inflation rate of Australia has been depicted. It has been found that the inflation rate of Australia has been stable over the past few years. In 2008 and 2009, the inflation rate has increased due to the global financial crisis. Presently annual rate of inflation rate of Australia is moderate and within the target rate set by the Reserve Bank of Australia. (Source: (Tradingeconomics.com, 2015)) Now, the unemployment rate of Australia needs to be assessed. High level of unemployment rate is not desired by any income as it leads to various negative impacts on the economy as well as society. In November 2014, the unemployment rate of Australia was estimated to be 6.3% which is highest since 2002 (Qgso.qld.gov.au, 2015). Though 42,700 jobs were added to the Australian economy in October 2014, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1% in the following month. According to economists, the RBA is under extensive pressure and they may focus on cutting the interest rate. It has been observed that for the last twenty years, Australia has not encountered recession. However, the nation is significantly struggling for facilitating a shift to the growth which will not be led by the mining sector. It has been anticipated that the decline in the growth rate of China may lead to the increase in the unemployment rate of Australia because China is the major trading partner for Australia (BBC News, 20 14). (Source: (Tradingeconomics.com, 2015)) Source: (Sum, n.d.) According to above mentioned chart, the unemployment rate in the last few years have been decreasing for improving the intervention of the government within the economy of the world. From various evidences, it is quite identifiable that the Australian National Government has undertaken few effectual measures to work against the alarming circumstances and also offer various job opportunities in the market of Australia. Apart from this, the increase in the multiple lateral industries especially in the private sector of Australian market has given various opportunities by increasing the job offers for all the deserving candidates. Generally, there is a negative link between the unemployment rate and the inflation rate. Thus, it is important to identify the pattern of both the inflation rate and the rate of unemployment. In the below mentioned table, relevant information about the two mentioned factors is being provided from the year 2002-2013 (Fasenfest, 2014). Inflation rate unemployment rate 2002 3.10% 6.10% 2003 2.70% 5.60% 2004 2.30% 5.20% 2005 2.70% 5.00% 2006 3.50% 4.50% 2007 2.30% 4.20% 2008 4.40% 4.90% 2009 1.70% 5.50% 2010 2.90% 5% 2011 3.30% 5.20% 2012 1.70% 5.40% 2013 2.50% 5.90% Source: (Rateinflation.com, 2015) From the above graph that is depicting the relationship between the inflation rate and the unemployment rate identified from the year 2002-2007, since the rate of inflation is rising compared to the unemployment rate, the Phillips curve is significant (Roy, 2011). Since the year 2008, the Philips curve relationship lacks in maintaining the inflation and the unemployment rate as both the factors have been rising and decreasing at the same period of time. Source: (Ruge-Murcia, 2004) If looked at the above figure, it is clear that in 2001, the GDP was low and thereafter in the later years, there has been increase in the GDP steadily. In the year 2009, the GDP of Australia has been decreased. Due to this, the country had to face hard time in respect to their economy. However, slowly, there has been consistent rise in the GDP of the Australia. Inflation Rate Unemployment Rate Growth Rate 2002 3.10% 6.10% 3.9 2003 2.70% 5.60% 3.1 2004 2.30% 5.20% 4.2 2005 2.70% 5.00% 3.2 2006 3.50% 4.50% 3.0 2007 2.30% 4.20% 3.8 2008 4.40% 4.90% 3.7 2009 1.70% 5.50% 1.7 2010 2.90% 5% 2 2011 3.30% 5.20% 2.3 2012 1.70% 5.40% 3.7 2013 2.50% 5.90% 2.5 Source: (Data.worldbank.org, 2015) The below shown graph demonstrates the pattern of three different economic factors of Australia from 2002-2013: Source: Made By Author 3. Monetary Policy effect: Monetary policy can be termed as the actions undertaken by the RBA(Researve Bank of Australia) to have impact on the financial and the monetary conditions in the cash market of Australia. This would help the organization to meet the economic goals for sustainable growth and low inflation (Langdana, 2009). The Reserve Bank of Australia is mainly responsible for administrating and formulating the monetary policy. This would help to achieve the non-inflationary growth which is mainly targeted as cash rate. The main objectives of the monetary policy in Australia are to maintain the inflation rate between 2% to 3% and also full employment at the non-accelerated inflation rate of unemployment between 5% to 7%. Further, the aim is to improve the growth of economy between 3% to 4% for sustaining peoples welfare and also their living standards. The decisions undertaken by the monetary policy mainly affects the performance of the Australian economy in future. The economic agents actually analyze the prices based on the expectation. The inflation expectations affect the interest rate and also the aggregate demand and supply. In determining the monetary policy, the role of RBA is to maintain the stability of the price, employment and also the welfare and economic prosperity of Australian people. Thus for achieving the statutory objectives, the bank has decided to set inflation target that is to keep the consumer price inflation upto 2-3%. This would help the country to control the inflation and also preserve the money value and also encourage long term sustainable growth. The Reserve Bank makes various moves to guarantee the behavior of money related approach is straightforward. These steps incorporate articulations proclaiming and clarifying every fiscal arrangement choice, the arrival of minutes giving foundation to the Board's approach thoughts, and editorial and examination on the monetary viewpoint gave through open locations and general distributions, for example, its quarterly Statement on Monetary Policy and Bulletin. The Reserve Bank will keep on advancing open seeing thusly. The Reserve Bank advances the soundness of the Australian monetary framework through overseeing and giving liquidity to the framework, and leading the Council of Financial Regulators (including the Reserve Bank, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Treasury). The Payments System Board has express administrative power for installments framework dependability. In satisfying these commitments, the Reserve Bank will keep on distributed its investigation of monetary strength matters through its half-yearly Financial Stability Review. What's more, the Governor and the Reserve Bank will keep on partaking, where fitting, in the advancement of budgetary framework arrangement, including any considerable Government surveys, or worldwide audits, of the monetary framework itself. The Reserve Bank's order to maintain budgetary dependability does not compare to a certification of dissolvability for money related foundations, and the Bank does not see its asset report as being accessible to help bankrupt establishments. On the other hand, the central position of Reserve Bank in the financial system, and its position as a definitive supplier of liquidity to the framework, provides for it a key part in monetary emergency administration. In satisfying this part, the Reserve Bank will keep on arranging nearly with the Government and with the other Council offices. The unemployment rate of Australia is falling since 1989. Thus the RBA have decided to determine the reductions in the rate of unemployment and will try to maintain the present trend and also different policies for producing sustainable growth. According to RBA statements the economy is stimulating with the low interest rated and unemployment is struck to around 6.25% (Pascoe, 2014). According to the policy, it is believed that the country, Australia is trying to have high wages, high value added economy and also high productivity. This would help to sustain the lives of people and also take up risks. This would also help to improve infrastructure, human capital accumulation and education (Rba.gov.au, 2015). It is also to be noted that there in an increase in the unemployment rate since the mid of 2011 which is about 5.75%. To meet the unemployment objectives, a Newstart Allowance have been started. The government is providing funds for various services for assisting the candidates who are looking for various job opportunities. The primary reason for such intervention is to support the unemployed people and reduce the unemployment for providing adequate living standards and also ensure that the people of Australia obtain employment. The allowance structure that is being decided is $501.00 per fortnight for single people, or $452.30 each for a couple (Ncoa.gov.au, n.d.). Conclusion In conclusion, it can be inferred that due to rise in the globalization there is a significant rise in competition in the market. Even though the nation, Australia is one of the most developed countries, it is lagging behind due to rising unemployment and inflation rate. The government needs to develop measures that would help to enhance the performance of the economy in terms of exchange rate, growth rate, inflation rate and also unemployment rate. Here the report has well identified the relationship between the inflation rate and the unemployment rate of Australia. Further the report discusses the impact of monetary policy and the intervention of government undertaken to improve the unemployment rate and also inflation rate of Australia. References Abel, A. and Bernanke, B. (2001).Macroeconomics. Boston: Addison-Wesley. Abs.gov.au, (2015).1345.0 - Key Economic Indicators, 2014. [online] Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/1345.0 [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015]. BBC News, (2014).Australia jobless rate at 2002 high. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-30426343 [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015]. Creighton, A. (2014).Annual inflation rate dips to 2.3 per cent as power prices fall. [online] TheAustralian. Available at: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/economics/annual-inflation-rate-dips-to-23-per-cent-as-power-prices-fall/story-e6frg926-1227098362128?nk=bf7f213fb407e18f438c9675cd72aceb [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015]. Data.worldbank.org, (2015). GDP growth (annual %) | Data | Table. [online] Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015]. Dorul, H. and Soytas, U. (2010). Relationship between oil prices, interest rate, and unemployment: Evidence from an emerging market.Energy Economics, 32(6), pp.1523-1528. Hubbard, R. and O'Brien, A. (2006).Macroeconomics. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Inflation and unemployment in economies in transition. (2000).Economic Modelling, 17(3), p.337. Karahan, . (2012). The Relationship between Inflation and Inflation Uncertainty: Evidence from the Turkish Economy.Procedia Economics and Finance, 1, pp.219-228. KELLY, G. (2000). Employment and concepts of work in the new global economy.International Labour Review, 139(1), pp.5-32. Krugman, P. and Wells, R. (2009).Macroeconomics. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Langdana, F. (2009). Macroeconomic policy. New York: Springer. Lanne, M. and Luoto, J. (2013). Does Output Gap, Labour's Share or Unemployment Rate Drive Inflation?.Oxf Bull Econ Stat, 76(5), pp.715-726. Lehmann, E. (2011). A Search Model of Unemployment and Inflation*.The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 114(1), pp.245-266. Mankiw, N. (2007).Macroeconomics. New York: Worth Publishers. Ncoa.gov.au, (n.d.). 9.11 Unemployment benefits and the minimum wage. [online] Available at: https://www.ncoa.gov.au/report/appendix-vol-1/9-11-unemployment-benefits-minimum-wage.html [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015]. Pascoe, M. (2014). The government is failing at the limits of monetary policy. [online] The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-government-is-failing-at-the-limits-of-monetary-policy-20140820-1065y5.html [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015]. Qgso.qld.gov.au, (2015).Data Tables: Employment growth and unemployment (a)(b), Queensland and Australia, 197879 to 201314 (Queensland Government Statistician's Office, Queensland Treasury and Trade). [online] Available at: https://www.qgso.qld.gov.au/products/tables/employment-growth-unemployment-qld/index.php [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015]. Rateinflation.com, (2015). Australia Historical Inflation Rate - 2002 to 2013. [online] Available at: https://www.rateinflation.com/inflation-rate/australia-historical-inflation-rate?start-year=2002end-year=2013 [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015]. Rba.gov.au, (2015). RBA: SMP November 2013-Box B: The Increase in the Unemployment Rate. [online] Available at: https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/smp/2013/nov/html/box-b.html [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015]. ROY, S. (2011). Unemployment Rate and Divorce*.Economic Record, 87, pp.56-79. Ruge-Murcia, F. (2004). The inflation bias when the central bank targets the natural rate of unemployment.European Economic Review, 48(1), pp.91-107. Sum, V. (n.d.). Unemployment, Consumer Confidence, Business Confidence, Inflation and Monetary Policy.SSRN Journal Tradingeconomics.com, (2015).Australia Inflation Rate | 1951-2015 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast. [online] Available at: https://www.tradingeconomics.com/australia/inflation-cpi [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015]. Tradingeconomics.com, (2015).Australia Inflation Rate | 1951-2015 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast. [online] Available at: https://www.tradingeconomics.com/australia/inflation-cpi [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015]. Warne, A. and Vredin, A. (2006). Unemployment and Inflation Regimes.Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics Econometrics, 10(2).

Case Study of Child with Autism free essay sample

I became increasingly interested in Autism since I had the opportunity to work alongside kids with Autism this summer. Seeing how their minds worked and how they processed information was astounding to me. Ever since this experience, I have fallen in love with children with Autism and I am always thriving to learn more about them. With this being said, I am looking to do my research on a child with Autism. I will be looking into the question how does Autism affect language development in children? Under this broad topic I will be specifically looking into why their pragmatic language is impaired. To find my information I will interview my child’s parents. I will do my own observations both in the home and at school. Finally, I will research scholarly articles that are based off of good scientific research in my subject field. I want to become more informed about children with Autism and why their language development is impaired in the ways that it is. In doing so, I feel that I can become a more informed teacher which I can use to my advantage in my classroom. I will know how to make children with Autism that are in my class successful both in class and in social situations. Section 2: Research Article #1 Measuring Pragmatic Language in Speakers with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Comparing the Children’s Communication Checklist—2 and the Test of Pragmatic Language â€Å"1 in 165 children† (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 204). The number of children that are prevalent with some type of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as stated by Joanne Volden and Linda Phillips. It is a statistic that is on the rise and highly debated. It is a statistic that greatly affects classrooms across the nation. And yet, how to we help these children to the best of our abilities? An aspect that is being highly overlooked is pragmatic impairments. Children with an ASD have a greater chance of having a pragmatic dysfunction than do ‘typical’ children (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 205). How do we help children that are having these issues? How do we even diagnose these types of Language Development impairments? This article points to two of the ways this is being done: The Test of Pragmatic Language and The Children’s Communication Checklist – 2. This article examines the validity of two tests: The Test of Pragmatic Language (TOPL) and The Children’s Communication Checklist – 2 (CCC – 2) (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 205). Each test was made to identify â€Å"pragmatic impairments† in children with high functioning ASD (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 205). The study identifies the difficulties that children with ASD have with pragmatic language –these children have â€Å"peculiar and out of place (communication) in ordinary conversation† (Rutter, 1965, p. 41); may â€Å"fail to develop (a) topic by contributing new, relevant information† among other minor things (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p.  204). Each test was developed to measure pragmatic dysfunctions in children so they may receive the support needed to thrive in everyday life. â€Å"Pragmatic language has proven (to be) difficult to assess†¦ (because) the (general) structure of formal testing procedures fails to capture f lexible adjustment to changing circumstances† (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 205). The TOPL test â€Å"samples a range of typically developing pragmatic behaviors† (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 205). The test compares students that have typical development pragmatic skills and students that have been diagnosed with high functioning ASD. The CCC-2, on the other hand is â€Å"designed to screen for clinically significant communication problem of any type and (identifies) pragmatic language impairments† (Phillips, Volden, 2010 p. 205-206). So while the CCC-2 does test of pragmatic language impairments it also screens for communication impairments as well. The TOPL test is scored using a summary score called the â€Å"Language Quotient† (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 207). The Language Quotient is expressed as a â€Å"standard score with a mean of 100 (SD = 15) (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p.  207). According to Phillips and Volden, Language Quotients of â€Å"70-79 are interpreted as poor, and quotients below 70 are interpreted as very poor† (2010, p. 207). The cutoff score indicating a pragmatic impairment in the child was designated as 79 (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 207). The CCC-2 on the other hand derives two composite scores that are interpreted allowing for a greater variety of information to be processed and taken into account while interpreting whether or not a child with high functioning ASD has pragmatic issues or not. These two composite scores are the GCC that is expressed by a standard score â€Å"with a mean of 100 (SD = 15) and the SIDI (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 207). If a GCC score is less than 80, it indicated a communicative impairment: not a pragmatic impairment (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 207). On the other hand, a negative SIDI score represents a pragmatic issue. â€Å"If the SIDI score is -15 or below Bishop (2003) suggests that pragmatic language impairment is present regardless of the GCC score (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 207). So what does all of this mean? It was shown that both tests can in fact show whether or not a child with high functioning ASD has an issue with pragmatics. But how valid are these tests? Both tests ended with different results. The TOPL test showed that â€Å"9 out of 16 students with ASD were pragmatically impaired† while the CCC-2 identified â€Å"13 out of the 16† (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 208). While it is known that students with ASD do in fact have pragmatic impairments is there a chance that not every student will have this type of impairment? It is hard to tell what test was more reliable in this situation for biases and cultural considerations were not taken into effect. However, it is a start. The article states that â€Å"the CCC-2 would be better at identification because the test included items designated to tap a broad range of pragmatic symptoms that are frequently reported as characteristic of ASD†¦. that would not occur in the course of typical development† (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 209). This study does prove to have a lot of vital information in regards to pragmatic dysfunctions in children with high functioning ASD. However, it does say that the study was small: â€Å"This study is limited by its small sample size and by restricting participation to those who had structural language scores within typical limits† (Phillips, Volden, 2010, p. 210). With that being said, it would not be reliable to extrapolate the information from this study to schools across the nation. This study only used children that were diagnosed as high functioning ASD. It would be important that other studies be done using children across the spectrum to see if the results were reliable. It would also be important to use other students with Intellectual Disabilities or even students that have been formally diagnosed with a Language Disorder to see how the validity of each test would withstand against these types of children. And although there is a lot that this study could have done further to prove their point, the information is still interesting and conclusive in its own regard. It is important that these types of tests continue to grow and evolve in our everyday world. If these tests can further prove to diagnose students with pragmatic impairments, it would be incredible in the world of teaching. Students with pragmatic impairments are being over looked and swept under the rug because they are not diagnosed as atypical in this aspect of Language Development. And while not all children with high functioning ASD have pragmatic impairments, there are large numbers of children that do exhibit these dysfunctions. As teachers, it is vital that these children, diagnosed with ASD or not, get the necessary treatment plans and resources to allow them to excel. Whether that be through an IEP or 504 plan, students need not be ignored because there is not a way to formally diagnose their language dysfunction. And while this article does state that the CCC-2 may be the better route to diagnose these children, it is important to use either the CCC-2 or the TOPL test rather than nothing at all as a start to diagnose a child. Once a child is assessed and diagnosed not only will that child be able to learn in the school setting but in the home setting as well. For although it may not always be good to label a child, having that label will allow for the child to have adequate and necessary treatment to allow for further success. Pragmatic dysfunctions, when treated early, can make a large impact on a child’s life. Growing up to know when the right time is to say certain things can be essential when trying to obtain a job or just talking in public. As teachers, these language issue needs to be taken into account more often and more seriously. Children are slipping through the cracks because teachers are uneducated as to how to formally diagnose and help these issues. Article #2 Brief Report: Pragmatic Language in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Relationships in Measures of Ability and Disability Pragmatic language is something that we use on a day to day basis whether we know it or not. Talking to a single person, talking to a group, or even listening to another person talk is all included in pragmatic language skills. Children, especially children with Autism, often lack pragmatic language. Children with Autism generally have more difficulties with pragmatic language than do any other children. If tested, they could even be diagnosed as having a pragmatic language dysfunction. Their speech is often considered â€Å"peculiar and out of place in ordinary conversations† and â€Å"irrelevant† (Bryson, Coolican, Garon, Volden, White, 2008, p.  388). â€Å"Pragmatics is consistently agreed upon as the domain that is specifically and universally impaired in Autism Spectrum Disorders† (Bryson, Coolican, Garon, Volden, White, 2008, p. 388). With this all being said, why is pragmatic language so often pushed to the side? Should pragmatic language be considered an important factor in considering a person’s long-term ability to function effectivel y in his or her community? Students with Autism may or may not have structural language difficulties paired with pragmatic language difficulties as well. Do structural language difficulties predict pragmatic language difficulties? This study that was done measured the â€Å"contributions of nonverbal cognitive and structural language skills to the prediction of pragmatic language scores† (Bryson, Coolican, Garon, Volden, White, 2008, p. 391). The study was done on â€Å"37 children aged 6-13 years who met the criteria of Autism/ASD† (Bryson, Coolican, Garon, Volden, White, 2008, p. 389). This study showed that pragmatic language, as measured by the TOPL, is strongly related to, but not dictated by, structural language. Structural language plays a part in pragmatic language, but it is not the driving force behind it. A student with Autism may have nearly perfect structural language but lack pragmatic language. Whereas another student may lack structural language and pragmatic language. Every student is different. These results simply state that structural language and pragmatic language are related in some way. How they are related, however, was not stated. The study also shows, as predicted, that if a child has better pragmatic skills, they were linked to fewer ASD communicative symptoms. Better pragmatic language was also linked to fewer symptoms in the social domain. These findings underscores how central the theme is between ASD symptoms and social communication. This study, done mostly on children with High-Functioning Autism, increases the evidence that children with Autism cannot help the way that they act in social settings. They cannot help that they can’t hold a conversation, among other things. Children with Autism are different: in a good way. Although they may not be able to communicate effectively and appropriately, they are so good at so many different things. Communication just happens to not necessarily be one of those things. This study has its flaws. The study should not be extrapolated to large groups, although the results are informative and interesting. The study was only done on a small sample size. The children that were selected â€Å"functioned within normal limits on most measures† (Bryson, Coolican, Garon, Volden, White, 2008, p. 392). Having a larger sample size with children of different ‘functions’ will prove to be more effective in showing the same results, assuming they will come out the same way. So, what is the point of this study? It can be stated that students with ASD have pragmatic language difficulties. It can be stated that students with ASD have structural language difficulties. It can be stated that these are intertwined within one another. But what does this all mean in the life of the child? How can this information better the life of a student wit ASD? The study suggests the importance of developing a â€Å"comprehensive (assessment) of pragmatic language to help document a person’s level of disability† (Bryson, Coolican, Garon, Volden, White, 2008, p. 392). With this information, professionals will be able to intervene in functional, community based contexts so students can develop social skills needed across all domains. Students will be able to grow individually to further their importance in their community. Should pragmatic language be considered an important factor in considering a person’s long-term ability to function effectively in his or her community? With the information given, all signs point to yes. Pragmatic language is an essential part in a student’s life. It allows students to function in everyday social situations. Students that lack pragmatic language are set back because of their inability to function ‘normally’. â€Å"It stands at the intersection of language and social skills, impairments central to defining features of ASD† (Bryson, Coolican, Garon, Volden, White, 2008, p. 391). Article # 3: Diagnostic Differences of Autism Spectrum Disorder s and Pragmatic Language Impairment Children with Autism are generally associated with having pragmatic language impairments. However, not all children that have pragmatic language impairments have Autism. So, along with difficulty in social communication settings, what else do these children have in common? Do children with Autism get labeled as having a pragmatic language impairments because they actually have a pragmatic language impairment or do their Autism symptoms overlap with those of pragmatic language impairments? Do children with Autism and children with pragmatic language impairments show comparable levels of behaviors associated with the ‘autism triad’ (Cornish, Frombonne, Reisinger, 2011, p. 1701)? The study sought out to answer these questions. The Autism triad is composed of three components. Component one involved the social and emotional aspect of development. Children with Autism in this area will have trouble with making friends, managing unstructured parts of the day, and working co-operatively. The second component is language and communication. Children with Autism will have difficulties in this area including difficulties understanding jokes and sarcasm, social use of language, literal interpretations, and body language and facial expressions. Finally, the third and final component of the Autism triad is flexibility of thought (imagination). In this area, children will struggle with coping with changes in routine and empathy. The study was done with â€Å"forty-one children with communication impairments aged 7-15 years† (Cornish, Frombonne, Reisinger, 2011, p. 1696). Each child was tested using both the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ). The purpose of these tests was to compare the scores of children with ASD and children with PLI. These tests would then show whether the children have comparable levels of behaviors associated with the autism triad. The diagnostic cut-off scores of each test were examined and measured. Overall, the results from the ADOS and SCQ showed that children with PLI have less severe impairments related to the autism triad as compared to children with ASD. However, the sub domains of these tests could not always differentiate between children with PLI and children with ASD in reference to their scores. When the combined measures were being used, it was possible to separate out the children with PLI and children with ASD that show signs of PLI.  7 cases could not be differentiated (Cornish, Frombonne, Reisinger, 2011, p. 1701). Therefore, it was concluded that using ADOS and SCQ alone were not strong predictors in differentiating between ASD and PLI. This study then goes on to support the theory that there are subtle differences between ASD and PLI. Children with PLI have â€Å"significant difficulties socializing† (Cornish, Frombonne, Reisinger, 2011, p. 1702). Because of these difficulties, ch ildren with PLI have an increased risk for problem behaviors related to Autism. The difficulties that these children have in relation to their socialization lead to an increased risk of frustration and anxiety, and in turn â€Å"an increase in expression of abnormal behaviors† (Cornish, Frombonne, Reisinger, 2011, p. 1702). This same relationship was not found in children with ASD. This may be due to the fact that children with ASD lack a sense of awareness of their surroundings and do not allow their surroundings to get to them in the way that children with PLI may. This is not true, however, of all children with ASD. This study examined children with ASD that were not diagnosed in having PLI. Children that are comorbid with ASD and PLI will experience the frustration, the anxiety, and the increased behaviors. Even some children that have ASD but not PLI could essentially still show these frustrations in social contexts. Looking back at the Autism triad after reading this article, children with PLI and children with ASD really only share equal difficulties in one area: language and communication. And not to say that this will always be what is shared amongst these two different diagnoses, but this is what will be most common amongst the two. The overlapping symptoms does not mean that children who have been diagnosed with PLI should also be diagnosed with ASD, but rather that they share common characteristics about their speech and communication, especially in social situations. Article #4 An Exploration of Causes of Non-Literal Language Problems in Individuals with Asperger Syndrome It is known that children with Autism show difficulties in pragmatic language. â€Å"One of the key features characteristic of individuals with high functioning Autism is a marked disruption to the ability to engage in social communication† (Martin McDonald, 2004, p.  311). The question that is never brought up, however, is why these children are at an increased risk for having pragmatic language difficulties. Article after article, case study after case study all talk about the signs and symptoms of pragmatic language impairments (PLI) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). They talk about how to test for PLI and interv ention techniques that can prove to be beneficial for the child. This article explores what others do not: the why of pragmatic language. Knowing the cause of pragmatic language impairments in children should essentially lead to potential remedies to help treat children that are affected. There are two competing hypotheses that are correlated with pragmatic deficits. The first is Theory of Mind (TOM). This may be â€Å"the most prominent position on the causation of social communication in ASD† (Martin McDonald, 2004, p. 311). TOM encompasses the ability to form representations of â€Å"other individual’s mental states, and, furthermore, to use those representations to understand predict, and judge others’ utterances and behavior† (Martin McDonald, 2004, p.  312). The ability to infer mental states of another individual is pivotal in engaging in effective pragmatic communication. â€Å"Deficits in TOM have been observed in individuals with ASD across a range of age groups and IQ ability† (Martin McDonald, 2004, p. 312). The comprehension of non-literal language relies on a person ’s TOM capacity. Therefore, children with ASD who have difficulty understanding metaphors or irony in another person’s speech could essentially blame their lack of TOM. With a lack of TOM, children will not be able to communicate effectively with another person. Their speech will be egocentric and will lack empathy. The second hypothesis that is correlated with pragmatic deficits seen in children with ASD is the notion of weak central coherence (WCC). WCC is not as strong of a thesis as TOM is. WCC refers to how language is processed. It’s argued that, according to the WCC theory, â€Å"language is processed in a kind of fragmented isolation without reference to the social context in which it occurs† (Martin McDonald, 2004, p. 312). In accordance with WCC, children with ASD display difficulties when they interpret words according to the context of the sentence given. â€Å"WCC predicts that individuals with Autism should be impaired in their ability to achieve local linguistic coherence† (Martin McDonald, 2004, p. 313). Children with Autism are also less able to â€Å"draw coherence inferences, or themes across, a set of statements† (Martin McDonald, 2004, p. 313). While these two theories are seemingly informational and reliable, their validity is questionable. Therefore, a study was performed to establish validity among the two theories. â€Å"The primary aim of this study was to compare the competing theories of social interference† (Martin McDonald, 2004, p.  315). Two predictions were made about TOM and WCC: â€Å"If deficits in TOM underlie pragmatic ability, then deficits in social interference should be significantly associated with deficits in pragmatic ability. However, impairments in social inference making should not be associated with either general inference ability, or the ability to integrate perceptual information. If WCC underlies pragmatic ability, then the ability to organize perceptual details into meaningful wholes should be significantly associated with the ability to make pragmatic inferences. Furthermore, this ability should be related to the capacity to make general and social inferences, as both these abilities require the capacity of drawing together disparate sources of information to infer meaning† (Martin McDonald, 2004, p. 315). The results showed that â€Å"students with ASD were found to be impaired on both the mental inference questions and the non-mental control inference questions† (Martin McDonald, 2004, p. 325). Therefore, their difficulty with TOM reasoning extended from one activity to the next, whereas WCC was only seen a small portion of the activities performed. WCC was assessed and found to not be related to pragmatic language ability. However, this study was done solely on testing children on processing visual-spatial information. It is unclear and not studied whether WCC would play a role â€Å"in the processing of auditory verbal information† in accordance with pragmatic communication (Martin McDonald, 2004, p. 326). More research, of course, would have to be done to replicate the information done in this study. This small sample size that was used has limited power in showing the true difference between the two competing theories that are TOM and WCC. Furthermore, with more research, it could be shown what other types of language deficits are applicable using these explanations. Article #5: The Social Communication Intervention Project: A randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of speech and language therapy for school-age children who have pragmatic and social communication problems with or without autism spectrum disorder There has recently been a strong push to increase language therapy for students with Pragmatic Language Impairments (PLI). Pragmatic language is an underexplored field that has increasing numbers of diagnoses year to year. No real therapy is implemented in school systems for children that have PLI. â€Å"There is little robust evidence of effectiveness of speech-language interventions which target the language, pragmatic or social communication needs of these children† (Adams, Earl, Freed, Gailet, Green, Law, Lockton, McBean, Nash, Vail, 2012, p 233). This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of one particular type of language therapy aimed at children with PLI with or without Autism Spectrum Disorder. The aims of the study at hand were to â€Å"examine the effectiveness of an intensive manualized social communication speech and language intervention in improving language skills and observed pragmatic ability† (Adams, Earl, Freed, Gailet, Green, Law, Lockton, McBean, Nash, Vail, 2012, p 233). The study that was performed was a small-scale randomized controlled trial. The trial was aimed to compare the effects of Social Communication Intervention (SCIP) compared with treatment as usual (TAU) on a standardized language assessment. Children either received SCIP intervention or TAU intervention. The results then showed what type of intervention was more effective for children with PLI. Participants that received SCIP ceased all other intervention programs when they began this formal intervention program. Children that were receiving SCIP sat down for â€Å"16 to 20 individual face-to-face one hour sessions of intervention in school over the course of one school term† (Adams, Earl, Freed, Gailet, Green, Law, Lockton, McBean, Nash, Vail, 2012, p 236). Each child received an individualized intervention strategy that was derived from a manual as to ensure that intervention was consistent amongst all participants. Two specialist speech and language therapists and five specially trained therapy assistants delivered the experimental treatment. Children that received TAU continued with their regular/typical treatment that was being provided by their local speech and language therapy services. After the children had finished their intervention treatment plan for their pragmatic language impairment, they took the CLEF-4 to measure their general language ability. The participants also took a secondary outcome measure titled the Targeted Observation of Pragmatics in Children’s Conversation (TOPICC). The outcomes of the CLEF-4 along with secondary measures did not show a significant intervention effect for SCIP compared with TAU. The article does state, however, that â€Å"the overall conclusion provided in SCIP is effective at improving overall conversational quality in 6-11 year olds who have significant pragmatic and social communication needs compared with TAU† (Adams, Earl, Freed, Gailet, Green, Law, Lockton, McBean, Nash, Vail, 2012, p 242). These conclusions do not match the evidence that the study provides, however. This may be due to the fact that the children that were selected for this individualized intervention program were so diverse in their backgrounds and diagnoses. This sample was also small. Providing more research with a more consistent group may show results more of what the study intended. The amount of therapy was also constrained by the study. In reality, some of the children may have needed more or less therapy to achieve maximum potential. Although the results of the study were not consistent with the conclusion, the article does make some good points. More research must be done to show the effects of a structured individualized intervention program for students with PLI and ASD. With the increasing numbers of ASD diagnoses, PLI diagnoses soon too will be on the rise. Children deserve the best possible intervention and therapy needed, so why are children with PLI getting cut short of this due to lack of research? In the upcoming years, there is sure to be more done on this particular topic to ensure that students will in fact receive the treatment that they need. Section 3: Data Collection I had the opportunity to work with a student that I taught over the summer. ‘A’ is 8 years old and is in third grade. He is an energetic, fun, loving boy. A has Autism and trouble with his pragmatic language. Although A has never been formally diagnosed with a Pragmatic Language Impairment, it is evident that he shows the signs and symptoms. As discussed in the interview paper, A’s mother does not want him to be diagnosed with PLI for she does not want him to have another label on top of the others he already has. As I mentioned, I observed A first over the summer while I taught him at a camp which was for students with Autism and social difficulties. At first, A was a quiet and compliant student for the first week or so. However, I later found out he was only testing the waters. After A felt comfortable in the classroom, he swore on a regular basis, had social outbursts, never raised his hand, etc. A went from being an angel to one of the most difficult children in the classroom. I was baffled as to what we were supposed to do. On a regular basis, A was talking out of turn and was talking in ways not appropriate for students of his age. I also observed that A, when talking with a peer, did not allow his peer to engage in a conversation with him. It was a one-sided conversation, all with A talking. After talking to A’s mother about our concerns, I, along with my other classroom staff members, came up with a positive behavior plan that A used in his classroom and at home. I distinctly remember A’s mother telling us that she was so sorry that he was acting the way that we was and that it was probably because he wasn’t in his typical routine. I also remember her telling us that once we put into action this behavior plan that his pragmatic language difficulties would slightly decrease. And, just like she had promised, they did. A still swore when he was frustrated but instead of condemning him for this, we applauded him for using his words to communicate. However, we then asked him why he would use the words that he chose and once he calmed down we would ask him if he felt those words were appropriate for the context he used them. We would then brain storm together ideas of words that he could use instead of the swear words (or even inappropriate words). We would then replay the situation and A would use the words that were brainstormed rather than the original words that he chose. Another thing we began to do, not just with A, but with all of our children in our classroom was to use a tennis ball when having a conversation. We encouraged the children to pass the tennis ball back and forth when they were talking with one another to discourage one sided conversations. We told the children that they should not have the tennis ball the whole time they were talking and that you could only talk for long sentences if you had the tennis ball in your hands. We saw a great improvement not only in A’s conversations but in the conversations in all of the children as well. Along with my experiences with A over the summer, I got to see A in his classroom this year. Although I only got to spend a little over two hours with him, I saw a lot of the same techniques used over the summer in his classroom here as well. I think this is because of what his mother said to us over the summer: A does well with a consistent routine. The thing that I found interesting about A in his classroom is that his Therapeutic Support Staff (TSS) was the one who would talk to A if he had an outbreak. I am sure that this is because the teacher does not always have time to sit down and talk to A individually, but I personally feel that it is important to help shape A’s pragmatic language. Finally, I observed A in his home as well. I feel that A acts different in his home than in school because he knows how to push his mom and dad’s buttons. They of course use the same techniques in the classroom as they do at home. However, they are more firm with him. They expect a lot out of A. It is extremely evident that they love and care for him and they only want the best for him. That is why they have gone to such extreme measures to make him be as successful as possible in regards to his pragmatic language. (Checklist Attached from Observation) Section 4 Interview A=Student Where do you see (student) have the most difficulties with pragmatic language (i. e. in the classroom, at home, out in public)? -We feel that A has the most trouble with his pragmatic lang