Narrative skills in autism and schizophrenia: a window on the relationship between the two pathologies

The relationship between autism and schizophrenia has always been very controversial. Recently researchers have individuated 8 models of co-occurrence between the two pathologies. In this paper we will briefly describe them and we will analyze the explanatory possibilities of those most supported by the scientific literature: the ‘associate liabilities’ model and the ‘diametrical’ model. Those who support this latter model consider the patient's cognitive profile as a useful data for understanding the relationship between the two pathologies and find elements of diametrality in it. In this study we aim to contribute to the debate by evaluating the characteristics of narrative skills in the two clinical populations. From our analysis it emerged that a characteristics very important that has been considered diametrical, the relationship between hyper- and hypo- mentalization, should actually be reread in the light of a more general anomaly in the patient's relation with lived reality. The other features of the narrative, on the other hand, did not show a diametrical configuration between the two pathologies.