Investigating the Effect of Enhancing Understanding of Embodied Metaphors on Sleep Status in Children with Autism and Sleep Problems

Authors

  • Mahdi Madanifard Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
  • Sahar Bahrami-Khorshid Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
  • Hayat Ameri Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
  • Soghra Akbari-Chermahini Department of Psychology and Counseling, Faculty of Human Sciences, Arak University, Arak, Iran; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18502/jss.v8i3-4.22348

Keywords:

Autism; Sleep disorders; Metaphor; Children

Abstract

Background and Objective: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often suffer from language disorders; however, those who experience sleep problems usually have more severe impairments in various domains of language and communication. Given the essential role of language in communication, this study aimed to investigate the effect of enhancing understanding of embodied conceptual metaphors on the sleep status of children with autism experiencing sleep problems.

Materials and Methods: This study employed a within-subjects design. The study population consisted of boys with autism aged 7-12 years. A total of 34 children with sleep disorders were selected using purposive sampling. Pre-test data were obtained using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), which includes items related to the cogni- tive, emotional, and communication difficulties in children with autism, such as sleep anxiety, sleep onset delay, bed- time resistance, and daytime sleepiness. Participants then underwent 20 sessions designed to enhance their understand- ing of conceptual metaphors. The CSHQ was re-administered as a post-test and follow-up to evaluate the effect of lan- guage-based intervention on sleep problems.

Results: Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated a significant positive effect of enhancing understanding of embodied conceptual metaphors on sleep improvement in children with autism experiencing sleep problems (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion: Enhancing understanding of embodied conceptual metaphors may be effective in improving sleep prob- lems in children with autism, potentially through reducing sleep anxiety and increasing communication abilities

Published

2026-08-18

Issue

Volume (8) issue (3-4)

Section

Articles