The aim of this paper is to review the research literature on characteristics of narrative in autism in order to specify more clearly the relative abilities and deficits of children with autism in this mode of social communication. The paper first considers how narrative can provide information about the way in which we understand and engage in social exchanges. It then provides a framework for the large body of literature on narrative in typically developing children and this is defined within three parameters of narrative described by Norbury and Bishop (2003). The review considers social communication and pragmatic language in autism before describing in more depth the main studies investigating narrative in autism. It concludes with theoretical implications of narrative ability with autism and reflects upon the value of using narrative as a tool for exploring social understanding
