Enunciation and linguistic inclusion

a study about subjectivity and ASD

Abstract

This article presents a reflection on the ways in which subjectivity and linguistic intersubjectivity are constituted in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), based on Émile Benveniste's theory of enunciation. We start from the assumption that language is not merely a communication tool but the very space in which the subject constitutes themselves as such. In this sense, we investigate how individuals with ASD, despite the communicative and social limitations often associated with the disorder, can position themselves as speakers and subjects of their own utterances. To do so, we discuss fundamental concepts from Benveniste’s theory, such as the category of person (I/you/he) and the temporality of discourse, connecting them to the linguistic specificities of ASD as described in the DSM-V. Thus, we examine diagnostic studies on ASD and Benveniste’s enunciative theory to, by the end of this work, establish reflections on how the concept of (inter)subjectivity in Benveniste can open possibilities for discussing issues related to linguistic inclusion. Methodologically, the paper is characterized as a qualitative theoretical-analytical essay, based on bibliographic research and the use of illustrative data drawn from the television series Atypical and from the participation of Ju Barbosa in the reality show Corrida das Blogueiras. From this analysis, we argue that linguistic inclusion requires a sensitive approach from the interlocutor, one capable of recognizing the presence of the subject even in unconventional forms of language. Thus, language is understood as a means of affirming identity and social belonging, with enunciation serving as a powerful space for inclusion.