Learning, plasticity, and atypical generalization in children with autism

Church, Barbara A.; Rice, Courtney L.; Dovgopoly, Alexander; Lopata, Christopher; Thomeer, Marcus L.; Nelson, Andrew T.; Mercado, Eduardo

doi:10.3758/s13423-014-0797-9

Cited by 50 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…However, in a second analysis, we added a mixture component to isolate children that did not seem to rely on prototype processes. When focusing only on participants for which a prototype model seemed appropriate, the difference in sensitivity between HFASD and TD children largely disappeared, which is in line with recent evidence suggesting that HFASD children that extract a prototype are near-identical in sensitivity to TD children (Church et al, 2015). Yet, the Bayes factor testing for a difference primarily indicated that the present data are not sufficiently informative to decide either way.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…The existence of different subgroups within the HFASD population should not come as a surprise (see, e.g., Caron et al, 2006;Church et al, 2015;Rajendran & Mitchell, 2007) and corroborates earlier evidence of multiple response patterns in these data . In our second analysis, about half of the HFASD children were assigned to a guessing group rather than the prototype group.…”

Section: Interpretation Of the Guessing Groupsupporting

confidence: 86%

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Sensitivity to the prototype in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder: An example of Bayesian cognitive psychometrics

et al. 2017

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We present a case study of hierarchical Bayesian explanatory cognitive psychometrics, examining information processing characteristics of individuals with highfunctioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD). On the basis of previously published data, we compare the classification behavior of a group of children with HFASD with that of typically developing (TD) controls using a computational model of categorization. The parameters in the model reflect characteristics of information processing that are theoretically related to HFASD. Because we expect individual differences in the model's parameters, as well as differences between HFASD and TD children, we use a hierarchical explanatory approach. A first analysis suggests that children with HFASD are less sensitive to the prototype. A second analysis, involving a mixture component, reveals that the computational model is not appropriate for a subgroup of participants, which implies parameter estimates are not University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium informative for these children. Focusing only on the children for whom the prototype model is appropriate, no clear difference in sensitivity between HFASD and TD children is inferred.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Interpretation Of the Guessing Groupsupporting

confidence: 86%

Sensitivity to the prototype in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder: An example of Bayesian cognitive psychometrics

et al. 2017

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“…Among new ideas, currently being explored is how different ways of presenting information (i.e. repeated examples of the ‘average’ of a category vs. multiple different examples of a category) can differentially support those with weaker or stronger patterns of generalisation [Church et al, ; Dovgopoly & Mercado 3rd., ]. Other strategies may include exploring different ways of structuring the learning environments.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are also other cognitive theories relevant to generalisation in autism [Brown & Bebko, ]. If generalisation is driven by the number of shared features across contexts, differences in generalisation could stem from how and where autistic individuals focus their attention, or what they consider salient in a particular context [Baron‐Cohen, ; Happe & Frith, ; Lovaas, Koegel, & Schreibman, ; Milton, ; Mottron, Dawson, Soulieres, Hubert, & Burack, ; Murray, Lesser, & Lawson, ; Plaisted, ], and/or how learned information is processed, organised and retrieved in memory [Baez & Ibanez, ; Church et al, ; McClelland, ; Miller, Odegard, & Allen, ; Schneider, Slaughter, Bayliss, & Dux, ; Williams, Goldstein, & Minshew, ]. These different perceptual and/or cognitive processes may mean that the features considered shared across two contexts by non‐autistic individuals may not consistently align with what autistic individuals perceive to be common elements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond intervention into daily life: A systematic review of generalisation following social communication interventions for young children with autism

et al. 2020

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Researchers have generally considered autistic individuals to have difficulties generalising learned skills across novel contexts. Successful generalisation is necessary for an intervention to have benefits in everyday life beyond the original learning environment. We conducted a systematic review of randomised controlled trials of early social communication interventions for children with autism in order to explore generalisation and its measurement. We identified nine RCTs that provided evidence of initial target learning and measured generalisation, of which eight demonstrated at least some successful generalisation across people, settings, and/or activities. The findings did not support the widely reported generalisation ‘difficulties’ associated with autism. However, generalisation was not consistent across all skills within studies, and one study found no generalisation despite evidence for initial target learning within the intervention context. In general, there are few methodologically sound social communication intervention studies exploring generalisation in autism and no consensus on how it should be measured. In particular, failure to demonstrate initial learning of target skills within the intervention setting and an absence of formal mediation analyses of the hypothesised mechanisms limit current research. We outline a framework within which measurement of generalisation can be considered for use in future trials. To maximise the effectiveness of interventions, the field needs to gain a better understanding of the nature of generalisation among autistic individuals and what additional strategies may further enhance learning. Autism Res 2020, 13: 506–522. © 2020 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay Summary It is generally considered that autistic individuals experience difficulties applying things they have learned in one context into different settings (e.g. from school to home). This is important to consider for intervention studies. Our review does not support a complete lack of generalisation but instead suggests that after early social communication intervention, autistic children can transfer some skills to new contexts. Overall, there is limited research in this area and further work is needed.

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“…The underlying cause has been postulated as a deficit in cortical plasticity mechanisms [18]. Additionally, poor communication skills limit the child from receiving adequate social feedback necessary for learning [71].…”

Section: Shared Biochemical Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury and Autism: Elucidating Shared Mechanisms

Singh

Turner

Nguyen

et al. 2016

Behavioural Neurology

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Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are two serious conditions that affect youth. Recent data, both preclinical and clinical, show that pediatric TBI and ASD share not only similar symptoms but also some of the same biologic mechanisms that cause these symptoms. Prominent symptoms for both disorders include gastrointestinal problems, learning difficulties, seizures, and sensory processing disruption. In this review, we highlight some of these shared mechanisms in order to discuss potential treatment options that might be applied for each condition. We discuss potential therapeutic and pharmacologic options as well as potential novel drug targets. Furthermore, we highlight advances in understanding of brain circuitry that is being propelled by improved imaging modalities. Going forward, advanced imaging will help in diagnosis and treatment planning strategies for pediatric patients. Lessons from each field can be applied to design better and more rigorous trials that can be used to improve guidelines for pediatric patients suffering from TBI or ASD.

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Learning, plasticity, and atypical generalization in children with autism

Cited by 50 publications

References 33 publications

Sensitivity to the prototype in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder: An example of Bayesian cognitive psychometrics

Sensitivity to the prototype in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder: An example of Bayesian cognitive psychometrics

Beyond intervention into daily life: A systematic review of generalisation following social communication interventions for young children with autism

Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury and Autism: Elucidating Shared Mechanisms

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