Planning in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Verbal Mediation

This study examined verbal mediation during planning in school-age children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) relative to age- and nonverbal IQ- matched typically developing peers using a dual-task paradigm. Analyses showed no group differences in performance. However, in the condition intended to disrupt verbal mediation, language skills were associated with planning performance for the TD group, but not the ASD group. Upon examining ASD subgroups with versus without comorbid structural language impairment, children with ASD and normal language appeared to rely on verbal mediation to a greater degree than children with ASD and language impairment, but to a lesser degree than TD peers. Thus, the role of verbal mediation in planning for children with ASD differs depending on language status.

Time perception and autistic spectrum condition: A systematic review

Problems with timing and time perception have been suggested as key characteristics of autism spectrum condition (ASC). Studies and personal accounts from clinicians, parents, caregivers, and self‐reports from autistic people themselves often refer to problems with time. Although a number of empirical studies have examined aspects relating to time in autistic individuals, there remains no clear consensus on whether or how timing mechanisms may be affected in autism. A key reason for this lack of clarity is the wide range of timing processes that exist and subsequently the wide range of methodologies, research paradigms, and samples that time‐based studies have used with autism populations. In order to summarize and organize the available literature on this issue, a systematic review was conducted. Five electronic databases were consulted. From an initial 597 records (after duplicates were removed), 45 papers were selected and reviewed. The studies are reviewed within different sections based on the different types of timing ability that have been explored in the neurotypical (NT) population: time sensitivity, interval timing, and higher‐order time perception. Within each section cognitive models, methodologies, possible clinical implications, and research results are discussed. The results show different consistency across studies between the three types of timing ability. The highest consistency of results showing atypical time perception abilities is found in high‐level time perception studies. It remains unclear if autism is characterized by a fundamental time perception impairment. Suggestions for future research are discussed. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1440–1462. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lay Summary

This systematic review examines the different types of timing and time perception behavior that have been investigated in autism. Overall, there are a number of studies that show differences between autistic and non‐autistic individuals, but some studies do not find such differences. Group differences are more consistent across studies using complex tasks rather than simpler more fundamental timing tasks. We suggest that experiments across a range of timing tasks would be fruitful to address gaps in our knowledge.

Visual memory profile in children with high functioning autism

Visual memory in children with high-functioning autism (HFA) is an area of debate. According to the few studies that have examined visual memory in children with autism, the memory profile appears to vary according to the memory process and type of stimuli, and contrasting results may be found. This study aims to analyze the visual memory profile of children with HFA. Fifteen children with HFA (mean age 9.6) and 15 typically developing children (TD; mean age 9.2) matched by chronological age and Leiter-R Brief IQ score took part in the study. Associative and recognition memory as well as visuospatial working memory were assessed. Impairments in face recognition and forward memory were found, whereas associative memory and shape recognition were preserved. The memory profile in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) showed relatively stronger abilities in associative memory than in the other visual memory domains. The results support the hypothesis that the level of stimulus processing may influence memory performance by having a large impact on tasks and stimuli that require access to a semantic or global level of processing. In contrast to the TD population, children with ASD may have difficulty extracting underlying regularities from experiences and generalizing that information. Highlights Children with high-functioning autism (HFA) show preserved ability in associative memory and shape recognition. Face recognition appears to be a specific deficit in children with HFA. Associative memory appeared to be the strongest ability in the memory profile of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) children.

Executive Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder: History, Theoretical Models, Empirical Findings, and Potential as an Endophenotype

This review presents an outline of executive function (EF) and its application to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The development of the EF construct, theoretical models of EF, and limitations in the study of EF are outlined. The potential of EF as a cognitive endophenotype for ASD is reviewed, and the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework is discussed for researching EF in ASD given the multifaceted factors that influence EF performance. A number of executive-focused cognitive models have been proposed to explain the symptom clusters observed in ASD. Empirical studies suggest a broad impairment in EF, although there is significant inter-individual variability in EF performance. The observed heterogeneity of EF performance is considered a limiting factor in establishing EF as a cognitive endophenotype in ASD. We propose, however, that this variability in EF performance presents an opportunity for subtyping within the spectrum that can contribute to targeted diagnostic and intervention strategies. Enhanced understanding of the neurobiological basis that underpins EF performance, such as the excitation/inhibition hypothesis, will likely be important. Application of the RDoC framework could provide clarity on the nature of EF impairment in ASD with potential for greater understanding of, and improved interventions for, this disorder.

Analogical Reasoning in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence From an Eye-Tracking Approach

The present study examined analogical reasoning in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and its relationship with cognitive and executive functioning and processing strategies. Our findings showed that although children with ASD were less competent in solving analogical problems than typically developing children, this inferior performance was attributable to general cognitive impairments. Eye-movement analyses revealed that children with ASD paid less attention to relational items and showed fewer gaze shifts between relational locations. Nevertheless, these eye-movement patterns did not predict autistic children’s behavioral performance. Together, our findings suggest that ASD per se does not entail impairments in analogical reasoning. The inferior performance of autistic children on analogical reasoning tasks is attributable to deficits in general cognitive and executive functioning.

Comprehension of "Narrow Focus" by Adolescents in the Autism Spectrum

OBJECTIVE

The study compared the performance of adolescents with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) to that of age-matched peers with typical development (TD) and cognitive language-matched peers with TD on measures of identification and comprehension of "narrow focus."

PARTICIPANTS

Forty-nine participants, 17 autistic, 17 TD peers matched for age and sex, and 15 TD children matched for expressive vocabulary participated in the study.

METHOD

The Hebrew Narrow Focus Test (HNFT) was used. The HNFT includes 3 subtests. The first subtest (A) required identification of the stressed word in the sentence based on psychoacoustic abilities alone. The second (B) and third (C) subtests required understanding the meaning of focused stress in different contexts. In subtest B, the meaning of "narrow focus" was to contrast other possibilities related to the lexical-grammatical role of the stressed word in the sentence, whereas in subtest C, the meaning was to indicate a mistake.

RESULTS

ASD participants showed reduced performance compared to peers across all the subtests of the HNFT, but similar performance compared to TD children in subtests A and B and better performance on subtest C. A significant correlation was found between the Raven test for assessing nonverbal intelligence and subtests B and C of the HNFT in the group of adolescents with ASD.

CONCLUSIONS

Comprehension of narrow focus in adolescents with ASD who study in a special educational system is related to their cognitive-linguistic abilities and not to the autistic condition by itself or to its severity.

Prenatal exposure to the viral mimetic poly I:C alters fetal brain cytokine expression and postnatal behaviour

An increased incidence of mental illness disorders is found in children and adolescents born to mothers who experienced an infection-based illness during pregnancy. Animal models to study the prenatal origin of such outcomes of pregnancy have largely used conventional rodents, which are immature (altricial) at birth compared with the human neonate. In this study, we used the precocial spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus), whose offspring have completed organogenesis at birth, and administered a single subcutaneous injection of a 5 mg/kg dose of the viral mimetic poly I:C (polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid) at mid gestation (20 days; term is 39 days). Prenatal exposure to poly I:C caused a transient weight loss in the pregnant dam, produced a downregulation of the proinflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor-α in the fetal brain, and resulted in abnormalities in sensorimotor gating and reduced social interaction, memory and learning in juvenile offspring. No changes in exploratory activity or anxiety and fear behaviours were found between the treatment groups. This study provides evidence that, in a rodent model that more closely resembles human brain development, prenatal infection can lead to behavioural abnormalities in postnatal life.