01-09-2014 | Original Paper
Does Language Guide Behavior in Children with Autism?
Auteurs:
Jennifer C. Gidley Larson, Yana Suchy
Gepubliceerd in:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
|
Uitgave 9/2014
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Abstract
It is unknown if children with high-functioning autism (HFA) employ self-directed speech to guide motor sequencing and motor control, or if they can benefit from using self-directed speech when prompted to do so. Participants performed a three-movement sequence across three conditions: Natural Learning, Task-Congruent Verbalization (TCV), and Task-Incongruent Verbalization (TIV). TIV deleteriously impacted performance in the typically-developing group (n = 22), and not the HFA group (n = 21). TCV improved performance in both groups, but to a greater extent in the HFA group. These findings suggest that children with HFA do not initiate self-directed speech spontaneously, but can use language to guide behavior when prompted to do so.