Navigating conversations with autistic children: Maternal use of alternative questions

Abstract

This study employs conversation analysis (CA) to examine how Chinese mothers deploy alternative questions (AQs) during interactions with their autistic children. This addresses a gap in research on the fine-grained dynamics of AQs within neurodivergent dyads in non-Western contexts. We analysed 176 AQ sequences across 21 video-recorded interactions. Findings reveal that maternal AQs facilitate interactional progressivity through structured choice-making and repair disengagement through multimodal resources and incremental formatting. Adaptive AQ designs empower children to negotiate constraints through transformative responses, topic shifts, and embodied resistance, underscoring bidirectional adaptation as central in neurodiverse communication. However, rigid AQs, marked by interactional asymmetry or mistimed turns, risk prioritising compliance over co-constructed participation, constraining opportunities for genuine engagement. Theoretically, the study reframes mutual understanding in autistic communication through the lens of CA, advocating reciprocal adaptation over unilateral conformity. Practically, it proposes flexible AQ designs attuned to autistic interactional rhythms and CA-informed caregiver training designed to enhance collaborative responsiveness.