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Larson C, Bochynska A, Vulchanova M. Mental rotation and language in autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2024; 17:785-798. [PMID: 38563047 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Though visuospatial skills are often considered a relative strength in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), unexplained difficulties relative to neurotypical (NT) peers have also been observed. Dissociations between spatial cognition and language skills in ASD may explain these difficulties given that these systems are linked in NT individuals. The current study examined performance on a mental rotation task that systematically varied stimulus features and the degree to which performance was associated with language in ASD relative to NT peers. Participants were children and young adults with ASD and 25 pairwise age- and IQ-matched NT peers (p's>0.53). The mental rotation task involved four conditions: two-dimensional (2D) abstract figures, three-dimensional (3D) abstract figures, 2D common objects, and 3D common objects. Structural language was measured using the grammar subscale from the Test of Language Development: Intermediate adapted for Norwegian. Mixed-effects model results indicated that autistic individuals were less accurate and had slower reaction time across mental rotation task conditions than NT peers. Language was associated with mental rotation accuracy for both groups across conditions, but with reaction time only for the NT group. The current study demonstrated selective associations between language and performance on a classic spatial cognition task in autistic individuals. Namely, there was a dissociation between language and in-the-moment efficiency in the ASD group, and this dissociation may reflect a broader dissociation between visuospatial and language systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Larson
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Agata Bochynska
- University of Oslo Library, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Language and Literature, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Mila Vulchanova
- Department of Language and Literature, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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Larson C, Eigsti IM, Spaulding T, Parish-Morris J. Language is a critical mediator of autistic experiences within the criminal justice system. Autism Res 2023; 16:2240-2246. [PMID: 37872874 PMCID: PMC10842356 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by social communication challenges and restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests, but also by highly heterogeneous language skills. The recent International Society of Autism Research (INSAR) policy statement, Autism and the Criminal Justice System: Policy opportunities and challenges (INSAR, 2022), aims to prevent, reduce, and improve interactions between autistic individuals and the criminal justice system. This policy statement provides a foundation for considering how to include language in these important aims. In this commentary, we outline the centrality of language skills to these interactions and provide specific recommendations that can inform future research and provide guidance for autistic individuals, community partners, and individuals working within the criminal justice system. Considering language as a part of justice system policy for autistic individuals will result in greater equity and inclusion, particularly for autistic individuals with co-occurring language deficits and those who are linguistically diverse. Moreover, it will allow autistic individuals to combat other barriers to effectively navigating interactions with the criminal justice system, such as those related to the core features of autism. We advocate for a greater role for service providers who can assess challenges in language skills, and identify the specific accommodations each autistic individual will need to prevent, reduce, and improve interactions with the criminal justice system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Larson
- University of Missouri; Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Inge-Marie Eigsti
- University of Connecticut; Department of Psychological Sciences, Storrs, CT, USA
- CT Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Tammie Spaulding
- University of Connecticut; Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Julia Parish-Morris
- University of Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Center for Autism Research and Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Khullar V, Singh HP. Vocal-friend: internet of social-things framework to aid verbal communication. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol 2023; 18:1527-1535. [PMID: 35404708 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2022.2060349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Deficits in social verbal communication in individuals with Social Communication Disorder (SCD) is of concern and SCD in the human community is prevalent in large population throughout the globe. Deficits in verbal social communication are prevalent in a large population. This paper aimed to propose internet connected multi-system architecture which is capable to support verbal communication in a social environment for individuals with social communication deficits. MATERIAL AND METHODS Implementation methodology was included with corpus collection for specific communication, deep learning based machine training for intelligent communication, and implementation of the trained algorithm on internet connected electronic multiple social communication devices. The implemented system is smart enough to initiate and maintain two types of communication; the first type includes communication between multiple individuals on the remote location and the second type includes communication with the individual present in the physical listening range. RESULTS The system was investigated in terms of its algorithmic parameters and found 97% to 100% in terms of training and testing accuracy with negligible mean squared error. Vocal-Friend analysed results based on audio-bot simulative conditions provide more than 91% accuracy, interaction rate and fallback rate. On the basis of the satisfaction analysis, above average results were noticed. CONCLUSION In terms of technical implementations and satisfaction analysis, results found acceptable with above average score.IMPLICATION FOR REHABILITATIONProposed framework is easy to use by caregivers with even having little knowledge.Support individual with deficit to learn social verbal communication skill to survive in society.Aiding parents, caregivers and professionals to understand the communication needs of individuals with communication deficits.Since technology is also grooming in the domain of rehabilitation, so this system could be used in various future applications such as social robots, social virtual assistants etc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Khullar
- Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Harjit Pal Singh
- CT Institute of Engineering, Management and Technology, Punjab, India
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Alderson-Day B, Pearson A. What can neurodiversity tell us about inner speech, and vice versa? A theoretical perspective. Cortex 2023; 168:193-202. [PMID: 37769592 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Inner speech refers to the experience of talking to oneself in one's head. While notoriously challenging to investigate, it has also been central to a range of questions concerning mind, brain, and behaviour. Posited as a key component in executive function and self-regulation, inner speech has been claimed to be crucial in higher cognitive operations, self-knowledge and self-awareness. Such arguments have traditionally been supported with examples of atypical development. But variations in inner speech - and in some cases, significant diversity - in fact pose several key challenges to such claims, and raises many more questions for, language, thought and mental health more generally. In this review, we will summarise evidence on the experience and operation of inner speech in child and adult neurotypical populations, autistic people and other neurodivergent groups, and people with diverse experiences of linguistic and sensory development, including deafness. We will demonstrate that the relationship between inner speech and cognitive operations may be more complex than first assumed when explored through the lens of cognitive and neurological diversity, and the implications of that for understanding the developing brain in all populations. We discuss why and how the experience of inner speech in neurodivergent groups has often been assumed rather than investigated, making it an important opportunity for researchers to develop innovative future work that integrates participatory insights with cognitive methodology. Finally, we will outline why variations in inner speech - in neurotypical and neurodivergent populations alike - nevertheless have a range of important implications for mental health vulnerability and unmet need. In this sense, the example of inner speech offers us both a way of looking back at the logic of developmental psychology and neuropsychology, and a clue to its future in a neurodiverse world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amy Pearson
- Department of Psychology, University of Sunderland, UK
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Faerman A, Sakallah A, Skiba S, Kansara S, Kopald BE, Lewine JD, Demopoulos C. Language Abilities are Associated with Both Verbal and Nonverbal Intelligence in Children on the Autism Spectrum. Dev Neuropsychol 2023; 48:248-257. [PMID: 37326312 PMCID: PMC10527100 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2023.2225663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Intellectual abilities factor into levels of functioning used to characterize autism. Language difficulties are highly prevalent in autism and may impact performance on measures of intellectual abilities. As such, nonverbal tests are often prioritized in classifying intelligence in those with language difficulties and autism. However, the relationship between language abilities and intellectual performance is not well characterized, and the superiority of tests with nonverbal instructions is not well established. The current study evaluates verbal and nonverbal intellectual abilities in the context of language abilities in autism and the potential benefit of tests with nonverbal instructions. Participants were 55 children and adolescents on the autism spectrum who underwent a neuropsychological evaluation as part of a study examining language functioning in autism. Correlation analyses were performed to examine relations between expressive and receptive language abilities. Language abilities (CELF-4) were significantly correlated with all measures of both verbal (WISC-IV VCI) and nonverbal intelligence scores (WISC-IV PRI and Leiter-R). There were no significant differences between nonverbal intelligence measures with verbal or nonverbal instructions. We further discuss the role of assessment of language abilities in interpreting results of intelligence testing in populations with higher prevalence of language difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afik Faerman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Alaa Sakallah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA
- Division of Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, USA
| | - Sara Skiba
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Seemran Kansara
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Brandon E Kopald
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Jeffrey David Lewine
- Departments of Neurology and Psychology, University of New Mexico, USA
- Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Carly Demopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA
- Departments of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, California
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Larson C, Ellis Weismer S. Working Memory Performance in Children With Developmental Language Disorder: The Role of Domain. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2022; 65:1906-1920. [PMID: 35394804 PMCID: PMC9559775 DOI: 10.1044/2022_jslhr-21-00420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study examined working memory in children with developmental language disorder (DLD). The overarching goal of this work was to integrate three primary processing-based hypotheses of DLD, (a) limited verbal working memory, (b) slowed processing speed, and (c) inefficient inhibition of interference, by using the serial-order-in-a-box-complex span (SOB-CS) computational model as our theoretical framework. We also examined the role of domain in working memory performance by varying the domain of interference and recall (i.e., verbal vs. nonverbal) task demands. METHOD Participants were 55 school-age children, 21 children with DLD and 34 age-matched typically developing (TD) peers (9-13 years old). RESULTS Findings indicated that verbal and nonverbal working memory performance was poorer in the DLD than TD group. There was a modest benefit of dispersing interference and recall task demands across domains relative to task demands being within one domain, yet verbal interference affected performance to a greater degree than nonverbal interference in the DLD group. CONCLUSIONS Overall findings supported a role for each of the processing-based hypotheses of DLD, albeit an incomplete role. In contrast, the SOB-CS model accounted for interrelationships among these processing-based factors and provided an explanation across patterns of findings. Thus, the SOB-CS model represents a useful step forward in explaining processing in children with DLD. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19526179.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Larson
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
| | - Susan Ellis Weismer
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
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Larson C, Rivera-Figueroa K, Thomas HR, Fein D, Stevens MC, Eigsti IM. Structural language impairment in Autism Spectrum Disorder versus Loss of Autism Diagnosis: Behavioral and neural characteristics. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 34:103043. [PMID: 35567947 PMCID: PMC9112023 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
This study probed for structural language impairment using behavioral and functional neuroimaging methods in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and those diagnosed with ASD in childhood who no longer meet criteria for ASD, referred to as Loss of Autism Diagnosis (LAD1). Participants were drawn from Fein et al. (2013): ASD (n = 35), LAD (n = 31), and Neurotypical (NT; n = 34). Criteria for structural language impairment were: Scores ≤ 82 on Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-4 (CELF) Core Language, an omnibus measure of language; and scores ≤ 7 on CELF Recalling Sentences, a clinical marker of structural language impairment. Task-based fMRI examined lateralization of significantly activated language-related brain regions in groups with structural language impairment (LI2) versus normal-range language (LN3), collapsed across ASD, LAD1, and NT status. Results showed no ASD versus LAD group differences in the proportion of participants with structural language impairment according to either metric (Recalling Sentences or Core Language). Functional MRI results indicated greater left hemisphere lateralization within significantly activated regions in the LI2 group. Structural language abilities were not meaningfully associated with either social abilities or lifetime ADHD symptoms in LI2 subgroups, further suggesting the presence of structural language impairment. Findings indicate the presence of persistent structural language difficulty even in the absence of ASD symptoms in some individuals within the LAD1 group and unique patterns of language-related neural specialization for language function in LI2 relative to LN3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Larson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA,CT Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Storrs, CT, USA,Corresponding author at: Department of Psychological Sciences, Unit 1020, 406 Babbidge Rd, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
| | | | - Hannah R. Thomas
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Deborah Fein
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Michael C. Stevens
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center at the Institute of Living, Hartford, CT, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Inge-Marie Eigsti
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA,CT Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Storrs, CT, USA
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