Computational considerations of comparisons and similes

Abstract

This paper presents work in progress to-wards automatic recognition and classifi-cation of comparisons and similes. Among possible applications, we discuss the place of this task in text simplifica-tion for readers with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), who are known to have deficits in comprehending figurative lan-guage. We propose an approach to comparison recognition through the use of syntactic patterns. Keeping in mind the require-ments of autistic readers, we discuss the properties relevant for distinguishing se-mantic criteria like figurativeness and ab-stractness. 1