Using Story-Based Interventions to Improve Episodic Memory in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (02) ◽  
pp. 125-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Prelock ◽  
Tiffany Hutchins
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Social Stories ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Counterfactual Reasoning ◽  
Scene Construction

AbstractEpisodic memory (EM) and scene construction are critical for organizing and understanding personally experienced events and for developing several aspects of social cognition including self-concept, identity, introspection, future thinking, counterfactual reasoning, theory of mind, self-regulation, flexible problem-solving, and socially adaptive behavior. This article challenges the reader to think differently about EM in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as we expand our understanding of autobiographical memory that requires an ability to travel back in time and re-experience an event. The role of EM in cognitive and behavioral functioning for children with and without ASD is described. The value of story-based interventions such as Social Stories and Comic Strip Conversations for supporting EM is discussed with adaptations recommended to ensure a rich personal recall of an event. By focusing on EM and scene construction, there is potential for increasing the potency of story-based interventions for achieving maximum therapeutic impact.

scholarly journals Resistance to temptation in toddlers at genetic risk for autism spectrum disorder

Autism ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 1018-1027
Author(s):  
Susan B Campbell ◽  
Jessie B Northrup ◽  
Amy B Tavares
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
High Risk Children

Children with autism spectrum disorder often demonstrate difficulties with self-regulation, although studies of this construct in young children with autism spectrum disorder are limited. In this study, developmental changes were examined using a measure of self-regulation appropriate for young children, resistance to temptation. At 22, 28, and 34 months, toddlers with an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder (high risk) and toddlers with typically developing older siblings (low risk) were presented with an appealing toy and instructed not to touch it. Observers coded whether or not children touched the toy and the strategies they used to resist touching it. At 36 months, children were assessed for autism spectrum disorder, yielding three groups: high risk children with autism spectrum disorder, high risk children without autism spectrum disorder, and low risk children. At 22 months, most children, regardless of group, touched the forbidden toy; at 28 and 34 months, many high risk children without autism spectrum disorder and low risk children resisted the temptation to touch the toy, whereas most of the children with autism spectrum disorder did not. Differences in delay strategies were also evident. Some, but not all group differences, were accounted for by differences in language ability. Results highlight one early index of impulse control that differentiates children with emerging autism spectrum disorder from age-mates prior to the third birthday.

scholarly journals The role of caregiver speech in supporting language development in infants and toddlers with autism spectrum disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 1230-1239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan R. Swanson
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Language Research ◽  
Language Data

AbstractParents play an essential role in supporting child development by providing a safe home, proper nutrition, and rich educational opportunities. In this article we focus on the role of caregiver speech in supporting development of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We review studies from typically developing children and children with autism showing that rich and responsive caregiver speech supports language development. Autism intervention studies that target caregiver speech are reviewed as are recent scientific advances from studies of typical development. The strengths and weakness of different techniques for collecting language data from caregivers and children are reviewed, and natural language samples are recommended as best practice for language research in autism. We conclude that caregivers play a powerful role in shaping their children's development and encourage researchers to adapt parent-mediated intervention studies to acknowledge individual differences in parents by using a personalized medicine approach.

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