The interfaculty research group ACTE (Autism in Context: Theory and Experiment) started in 2015 at the Université libre de Bruxelles. Our main objective is to contribute to a better understanding of language development and communication skills in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Our research focuses in particular on the origins of language delays, social communication skills in children and adults and the implications of social communication differences in everyday interactions. We bring together investigation techniques from cognitive psychology, social psychology and linguistics within an ecological research program, whose experimental dimension is geared towards specific sensibilities of children and adults with autism.  

Across all components of the ACTE project, we consider the great heterogeneity that characterises the autism spectrum. Whenever possible, we will also attempt to gain insight to children’s individual progression and evolution, by designing longitudinal studies.