scholarly journals Tell me where it is: Selective difficulties in spatial language on the autism spectrum

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1740-1757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Bochynska ◽  
Kenny R. Coventry ◽  
Valentin Vulchanov ◽  
Mila Vulchanova
Keyword(s):  
Language Production ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spatial Language ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Spatial Description ◽  
Language Abilities ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Spatial Terms

Proficient use of spatial terms such as under, to the left of or in front of is a central component of daily communication and is important in the development of language and spatial cognition. Here we examine spatial language abilities in intellectually high-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorder, an area previously overlooked in autism research. Twenty-five high-functioning individuals with ASD and 25 typically developing controls, matched for chronological age and cognitive abilities, completed a novel battery tapping a broad range of spatial language abilities. We report selective difficulties in the production of spatial terms and spatial description recall in high-functioning ASD. Overall verbal abilities did not account for the observed group differences. Crucially, however, the intensity of autism spectrum traits predicted individual performance in both spatial language production and spatial description recall. We discuss the theoretical implications of these findings and explore their significance for both clinical practice and intervention. Lay abstract How we think and talk about space is an essential ability, necessary for understanding the world around us. We recruit spatial thinking every day when finding our way or using tools but also in more advanced tasks, such as reading complex graphs or maps. We do so also in daily communication when we use spatial language, terms such as under, over, to the left of or in front of, and when we give instructions. Spatial terms appear in children’s early vocabularies and continue to develop until late childhood or even early adolescence. Because spatial language develops over many years, some spatial terms are mastered very early, whereas others take longer to acquire. In the current set of studies, we tested how intellectually high-functioning children and adults on the autism spectrum use and understand these early- and late-acquired spatial terms in comparison to typically developing age-matched individuals. We found that children and adults on the autism spectrum experience difficulties with the use of some spatial terms (e.g. near and far or out of and down off) but not with others, which are acquired early (e.g. in and on or over and under). We also found that remembering spatial terms from short stories was more difficult for the individuals on the autism spectrum compared with typically developing individuals. These results reveal difficulties that can profoundly affect everyday communication of children and adults on the autism spectrum but also open new directions of research on language development in autism spectrum disorders.

scholarly journals Peer Perceptions of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Whitney B. Griffin
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Intentions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Level Of Functioning ◽  
Perceptions Of Students ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Students With Autism ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

This quasi-experimental study investigated behavioral intentions of 70 middle school participants toward engaging in activities with a student displaying characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a video vignette. Three video conditions were investigated: moderate to severe ASD, high-functioning ASD, and a typically developing control. Results of an analysis of variance indicated that participants reported significantly higher behavioral intentions toward the typically developing student and the student displaying more severe ASD symptomatology as compared to the student depicting high-functioning ASD. Participants were also able to differentially rate the behaviors they observed across the three conditions. These findings suggest that peers are capable of distinguishing among different behaviors typically displayed by students with ASD but may be less willing to socially engage with a student with mild or subtler characteristics. Implications regarding essential elements of interventions for peers based on the target student’s level of functioning are discussed.

Executive Functions in Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle I. Brady ◽  
Donald H. Saklofske ◽  
Vicki L. Schwean ◽  
Janine M. Montgomery ◽  
Keoma J. Thorne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Normative Expectations ◽  
The Impact

Researchers have proposed that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized, at least in part, by executive function (EF) difficulties associated with the integrity of the frontal lobe. Given the paucity of research regarding EFs in young adults with high functioning ASD (HF-ASD), this research involves an examination of various indices of EF related to inhibition, planning, and generativity. Results indicate that although young adults with HF-ASD as a group met normative expectations on all measures of EF, they also exhibited considerable individual variability relative to their age- and sex-matched typically developing peers. These findings have important research and clinical implications, including the need to carefully consider the impact of the research comparison group, and to recognize individual variability in executive functioning among young adults with HF-ASD.

‘Just trying to talk to people … It’s the hardest’: Perspectives of adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder on their social communication skills

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Kelly ◽  
Mary-Pat O’Malley ◽  
Stanislava Antonijevic
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Social Communication Skills ◽  
Increased Risk

Difficulty with social communication is the most pervasive difficulty experienced by individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD). Communication difficulties are often magnified in adolescence as social demands become more intricate. This puts adolescents with HF-ASD at increased risk of social isolation and depression, as they have difficulty developing positive social identity. Yet, there is a dearth of literature addressing the communication issues of this population and even fewer studies including the voice of adolescents with HF-ASD themselves. This study aimed to (1) explore the perspectives of adolescents with HF-ASD as to their social communication skills, (2) explore what (if any) difficulties they perceive themselves as having when talking with their peers, (3) explore if they would like help with social communication skills and (4) determine what kind of help they think may be useful to them and establish if they already use self-initiated strategies. This study was qualitative in nature, using thematic analysis to analyse data collected from 10 semi-structured interviews with 5 adolescents with HF-ASD. Qualitative research underpins the idea that one must understand the significance and explanation that people give to situations, experiences, their own actions and to the actions of others, for one to comprehend human behaviours and actions. A qualitative design allowed us to gain the most in depth insight into how adolescents with HF-ASD understand and perceive their experiences. Three themes emerged revealing the participants’ perceptions of their difficulties communicating, challenging feelings that they experience about communication, and their perspectives about the support for developing communication skills. The participants indicated a need for support to aid their desire to improve communication skills and interactions with typically developing peers. In educational settings, adolescents with HF-ASD may benefit from a peer mentor system to give them opportunities to practice social communication skills with typically developing peers and to encourage inclusion amongst their classmates.

scholarly journals Thalamocortical connectivity is associated with autism symptoms in high-functioning adults with autism and typically developing adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafi Ayub ◽  
Kevin L. Sun ◽  
Ryan E. Flores ◽  
Vicky T. Lam ◽  
Booil Jo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Autism Symptoms ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
The Right

AbstractAlterations in sensorimotor functions are common in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Such aberrations suggest the involvement of the thalamus due to its key role in modulating sensorimotor signaling in the cortex. Although previous research has linked atypical thalamocortical connectivity with ASD, investigations of this association in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) are lacking. Here, for the first time, we investigated the resting-state functional connectivity of the thalamus, medial prefrontal, posterior cingulate, and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortices and its association with symptom severity in two matched cohorts of HFASD. The principal cohort consisted of 23 HFASD (mean[SD] 27.1[8.9] years, 39.1% female) and 20 age- and sex-matched typically developing controls (25.1[7.2] years, 30.0% female). The secondary cohort was a subset of the ABIDE database consisting of 58 HFASD (25.4[7.8] years, 37.9% female) and 51 typically developing controls (24.4[6.7] years, 39.2% female). Using seed-based connectivity analysis, between-group differences were revealed as hyperconnectivity in HFASD in the principal cohort between the right thalamus and bilateral precentral/postcentral gyri and between the right thalamus and the right superior parietal lobule. The former was associated with autism-spectrum quotient in a sex-specific manner, and was further validated in the secondary ABIDE cohort. Altogether, we present converging evidence for thalamocortical hyperconnectivity in HFASD that is associated with symptom severity. Our results fill an important knowledge gap regarding atypical thalamocortical connectivity in HFASD, previously only reported in younger cohorts.

Humor as character strength and its relation to life satisfaction and happiness in Autism Spectrum Disorders

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea C. Samson ◽  
Yovanni Antonelli
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Asperger's Syndrome ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Character Strength ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

AbstractThe goal of this study was to examine the importance of humor as character strength in individuals with Asperger's syndrome/High Functioning Autism (AS/HFA) and how it relates to life satisfaction and orientation to happiness. Thirty-three individuals with AS/HFA and 33 gender-, age- and education-matched typically developing (TD) participants filled out scales assessing character strengths (VIA-IS), life satisfaction (SWLS) and orientation to happiness (OTH). Profile analyses of the character strengths and character strengths factors revealed significant differences between the two groups. Humor was found to be the 8th highest out of 24 character strengths in TD, but was only at the 16th position in individuals with AS/HFA when the strengths are rank-ordered. In TD participants, humor is related to life of pleasure, life of engagement, life of meaning and life satisfaction. In individuals with AS/HFA, humor is only related to life of pleasure. This shows that 1) individuals with AS/HFA seem not to consider humor as one of their important strengths, which is in line with humor difficulties reported earlier and 2) humor does not seem to contribute to life satisfaction to the same degree as in TD controls.

Eye contact perception in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 136236132094972
Author(s):  
Shota Uono ◽  
Sayaka Yoshimura ◽  
Motomi Toichi
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Ingroup Bias ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Gaze Aversion ◽  
Affective Experiences ◽  
General Individuals

The present study investigated how the eye contact perception of ingroup and outgroup faces by Japanese adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder differed from that of age-, sex-, and IQ-matched typically developing individuals. The autism spectrum disorder and typically developing individuals were equally likely to perceive subtly averted gazes as self-directed gazes. In both groups, the frequency with which self-directed gazes were perceived decreased as gaze aversion increased. In general, individuals with autism spectrum disorder were equally capable of perceiving a self-directed gaze as typically developing individuals. However, typically developing individuals, but not individuals with autism spectrum disorder, were more likely to perceive self-directed gazes from ingroup faces than from outgroup faces. Stimuli ratings revealed that individuals with autism spectrum disorder, but not those with typically developing, gave higher warmth ratings to ingroup faces with averted gazes and outgroup faces with direct gazes compared to other types of face stimuli, suggesting atypical affective experiences in response to ingroup and outgroup faces in autism spectrum disorder. These results suggest that individuals with autism spectrum disorder did not show an ingroup bias for the perception of a self-directed gaze, and raise the possibility that an atypical emotional experience contributes to the diminished ingroup bias for the perception of a self-directed gaze. Lay abstract The detection of a self-directed gaze is often the starting point for social interactions and a person who feels as if they are being watched can prepare to respond to others’ actions irrespective of the real gaze direction because the other person may likely be motivated to approach. Although many studies demonstrated that individuals with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty discriminating gaze direction, it remains unclear how the perception of self-directed gaze by individuals with autism spectrum disorder differs from that of age-, sex-, and IQ-matched typically developing individuals. Participants observed faces with various gaze directions and answered whether the person in the photograph was looking at them or not. Individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder were just as likely to perceive subtle averted gazes as self-directed gazes. The frequency of perceiving a self-directed gaze decreased as gaze aversion increased in both groups and, in general, individuals with autism spectrum disorder showed a comparable ability to perceive a self-directed gaze as that of typically developing individuals. Interestingly, considering face membership of photographs (ingroup or outgroup faces), typically developing individuals, but not individuals with autism spectrum disorder, were more likely to perceive self-directed gazes from ingroup faces than from outgroup faces. However, individuals with autism spectrum disorder had different affective experiences in response to ingroup and outgroup faces. These results suggest that individuals with autism spectrum disorder did not show an ingroup bias for the perception of a self-directed gaze, and raise a possibility that an atypical emotional experience contributes to the diminished ingroup bias.

scholarly journals Spontaneous spatial information provided by dementia patients and elderly controls in narratives

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Solveig Bosse
Keyword(s):  
Language Production ◽  
Spatial Reasoning ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Corpus Analysis ◽  
Spatial Language ◽  
Dementia Patients ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Spatial Terms ◽  
And Control

Patients diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (DAT) often show two symptoms early on: the inability to navigate space effectively and a deterioration of their language skills, especially on semantic tasks. In this work, I look at whether the inability to navigate space is reflected in the spontaneous speech of DAT patients. Through a corpus analysis of narratives by DAT and control participants, I investigate the hypothesis that DAT patients provide less spatial information than healthy controls (mirroring the decline of effective spatial reasoning in language production). This hypothesis was not supported for locative/stative descriptions using in, on, and at; both groups included this information equally often. However, significant differences between the groups were found for the inclusion of the spatial terms left and right as well directional/dynamic spatial information indicated by into, onto, from, and to. This difference between locative/stative and directional/dynamic spatial information has not previously been reported. I argue that it aligns with Chatterjee’s (2008) proposal of the relational features of spatial language and that these features can be differently affected in DAT patients, aligning it with the spatial navigation impairment in these participants.

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