Figurative language comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analytic review

Altered white matter connectivity of ventral language networks in autism spectrum disorder: An automated fiber quantification analysis with multi-site datasets

Comprehension and pragmatic deficits are prevalent in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are potentially linked to altered connectivity in the ventral language networks. However, previous magnetic resonance imaging studies have not sufficiently explored the microstructural abnormalities in the ventral fiber tracts underlying comprehension dysfunction in ASD. Additionally, the precise locations of white matter (WM) changes in the long tracts of patients with ASD remain poorly understood. In the current study, we applied the automated fiber-tract quantification (AFQ) method to investigate the fine-grained WM properties of the ventral language pathway and their relationships with comprehension and symptom manifestation in ASD. The analysis included diffusion/T1 weighted imaging data of 83 individuals with ASD and 83 age-matched typically developing (TD) controls. Case-control comparisons were performed on the diffusion metrics of the ventral tracts at both the global and point-wise levels. We also explored correlations between diffusion metrics, comprehension performance, and ASD traits, and conducted subgroup analyses based on age range to examine developmental moderating effects. Individuals with ASD exhibited remarkable hypoconnectivity in the ventral tracts, particularly in the temporal portions of the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF). These WM abnormalities were associated with poor comprehension and more severe ASD symptoms. Furthermore, WM alterations in the ventral tract and their correlation with comprehension dysfunction were more prominent in younger children with ASD than in adolescents. These findings indicate that WM disruptions in the temporal portions of the left ILF/IFOF are most notable in ASD, potentially constituting the core neurological underpinnings of comprehension and communication deficits in autism. Moreover, impaired WM connectivity and comprehension ability in patients with ASD appear to improve with age.

Metaphor comprehension and production in verbally able children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Research in the field of figurative language processing in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has demonstrated that autistic individuals experience systematic difficulties in the comprehension of different types of metaphors. However, there is scarce evidence regarding metaphor production skills in ASD. Importantly, the exact source of metaphor processing difficulties in ASD remains largely controversial. The debate has mainly focused on the mediating role of structural language skills (i.e., lexical knowledge) and cognitive abilities (i.e., Theory of Mind and executive functions) in ASD individuals' ability to comprehend and generate metaphors. The present study examines metaphor comprehension and production in 18 Greek-speaking verbally able children with ASD and 31 typically-developing (TD) controls. Participants completed two tasks, namely, a low-verbal multiple-choice sentence-picture matching task that tested their ability to comprehend conventional predicate metaphors, and a sentence continuation task that assessed their ability to generate metaphors. The study also included measures of fluid intelligence, expressive vocabulary, and working memory within the sample. The results show that the ASD group had significantly lower performance than the TD group in both metaphor comprehension and production. The findings also reveal that expressive vocabulary skills were a key factor in the metaphor comprehension and production performance of the children with ASD. Working memory capacity was also found to correlate significantly with metaphor comprehension performance in the ASD group. Conversely, no correlations were found in the TD group with neither of the above factors. Of note, children with ASD generated significantly more inappropriate responses and no-responses to the metaphor production task compared with the control group. The overall results reveal that children with ASD had difficulty with both comprehending and using metaphorical language. The findings also indicate that TD children may employ diverse cognitive strategies or rely on different underlying skills when processing metaphors compared with children with ASD.

Autistic Traits Modulate Social Synchronizations Between School-Aged Children: Insights From Three fNIRS Hyperscanning Experiments

The current study investigated how autistic traits modulate peer interactions using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning. Across three experiments, we tested the effect of copresence, joint activity, and a tangible goal during cooperative interactions on interbrain coherence (IBC) in school-aged children between 9 and 11 years old. Twenty-three dyads of children watched a video alone or together in Experiment 1, engaged in joint or self-paced book reading in Experiment 2, and pretended to play a Jenga game or played for real in Experiment 3. We found that all three formats of social interactions increased IBC in the frontotemporoparietal networks, which have been reported to support social interaction. Further, our results revealed the shared and unique interbrain connections that were predictive of the lower and higher parent-reported autism-spectrum quotient scores, which indicated child autistic traits. Results from a convergence of three experiments provide the first evidence to date that IBC is modulated by child autistic traits.

Sublime and extended reality experiences to enhance emotional wellbeing for autistic people: A state of the art review and narrative synthesis

BACKGROUND

Sublime is a centuries old concept of emergent experience arising from immense and threatening awareness provoked by overwhelming fear and dread when faced with an incomprehensible situation as is common to autistic people. Extended Reality (XR) technologies have been used since the mid-1990s, in regulating emotions, behaviour and supporting social skill development for autistic people.

AIMS

To understand utility of XR technologies in creating immersive experiences for autistic people to alleviate anxiety and the relationship to the sublime.

METHOD

A State of the Art literature review and narrative synthesis was conducted. PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science were searched with terms Autism AND Technology. In addition, fields of digital technologies and wellbeing, digital art and mental health, generative arts and the sublime were explored through web searches of grey literature, conversations with digital designers and explorations of extended reality platforms. No time limits were placed. Searches were done in English. Papers were screened and shortlisted using the inclusion criteria applied by two reviewers.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight papers/articles met the preliminary inclusion criteria for in-depth review of which 31 were found suitable for the narrative synthesis related to XR technologies and sublime experiences as related to autistic people. Narrative synthesis lent itself to four themes that is current utility of XR Technologies in autism, the impact of immersive experiences on Behavioural, phenomenological and biological markers of autistic people, the Benefits of increased sensory stimulation using XR on autism and an inquiry into the potential of the sublime for autism.

CONCLUSIONS

Mixed reality environments that experiment with a broad range of XR technologies including incorporating notions of the sublime, might be beneficial in reducing emotional dysregulation and improving social development in autistic people especially if co-designed with them.

The Relationship Between Theory of Mind and Listening Comprehension Among Chinese Preschoolers with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder

The study aimed to examine the performance on linguistic and cognitive tasks among Chinese preschool children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and explore the direct and indirect relationships between theory of mind (ToM) and literal and inferential listening comprehension. Forty-nine (N = 49) children with ASD and fifty-two (N = 52) age- and gender-matched typically developing (TD) children participated in the study. All participants were administered tasks evaluating their listening comprehension of literal and inferential statements, ToM, as well as verbal and nonverbal IQ. Results showed that the ASD group performed statistically worse on listening comprehension, ToM abilities, verbal IQ, and nonverbal IQ than their TD peers. Further, we found statistically significant correlations between general ToM performance and overall listening comprehension among Chinese preschool children with and without ASD. More specifically, ToM abilities of children with ASD had an indirect effect on their literal listening comprehension via the mediation of verbal IQ, whereas ToM performance among TD children predicted their literal listening comprehension via the mediation of nonverbal IQ. The major findings were discussed in detail based on the situation model. The research facilitated insights into listening comprehension among Chinese preschool children with and without ASD, providing their caregivers and teachers with viable strategies to improve their listening comprehension.

Evaluating Large Language Models' Ability Using a Psychiatric Screening Tool Based on Metaphor and Sarcasm Scenarios

Metaphors and sarcasm are precious fruits of our highly evolved social communication skills. However, children with the condition then known as Asperger syndrome are known to have difficulties in comprehending sarcasm, even if they possess adequate verbal IQs for understanding metaphors. Accordingly, researchers had employed a screening test that assesses metaphor and sarcasm comprehension to distinguish Asperger syndrome from other conditions with similar external behaviors (e.g., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). This study employs a standardized test to evaluate recent large language models' (LLMs) understanding of nuanced human communication. The results indicate improved metaphor comprehension with increased model parameters; however, no similar improvement was observed for sarcasm comprehension. Considering that a human's ability to grasp sarcasm has been associated with the amygdala, a pivotal cerebral region for emotional learning, a distinctive strategy for training LLMs would be imperative to imbue them with the ability in a cognitively grounded manner.

Neurodiversity and the Neuro-Neutral State

Over the past decade, many philosophers have argued that to respect the moral equality of their citizens, states should be neutral toward certain forms of diversity among their populations. Areas in which the state neutrality has been advocated include, but are not limited to, citizens' different religions; languages; and sexual orientations. However, there remains an important area where its normative (ir)relevance has not been discussed: That of neurodiversity. After identifying several ways in which contemporary states disfavor the interests of neurodivergent groups relative to the neurotypical majority, including those of autistic people; dyslectic people; and people with ADHD, the most promising would be-justifications for such unequal treatment are considered. They maintain respectively that states only have to be neutral toward differences that feature in people's conceptions of the good life; that addressing the discussed neuro-inequalities is too costly, whether financially or otherwise; that doing so raises intolerable risks of a public backlash; and that a commitment to neuro-neutrality leads to overinclusion. None are found to be convincing across the board, which leads me to conclude that states should become significantly more neuro-neutral than they are today.

Figurative language processing in autism spectrum disorders: A review

Impairments in the broader domain of pragmatics are considered to be a defining feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A challenging aspect of pragmatic competence is the ability to process nonliteral language. Interestingly, previous studies in figurative language comprehension in ASD have demonstrated conflicting results regarding participants' performance. The main scientific debate focuses on the underlying skills which facilitate processing of nonliteral speech in ASD. Namely, Theory of Mind (ToM), language abilities and Executive functions (EFs) are regarded as factors affecting autistic individuals' performance. This review addresses figurative language comprehension in ASD in light of the above three interpretive accounts. We reviewed data from recent studies in this field concluding that autistic children indeed encounter systematic difficulties in the processing of non-literal language. Moreover, only ToM and verbal skills were found to correlate the most with figurative language comprehension in ASD. Notably, we found that differences related to research methodology and tasks' properties may have led to discrepancies between studies' results. Finally, we argue that future studies should encompass in their experimental design figurative comprehension tasks with minimal linguistic demands and also measures of ToM, verbal ability and EFs in order to shed more light in the independent contribution of those skills to the processing of nonliteral language in ASD.

Understanding the impacts of chronic pain on autistic adolescents and effective pain management: a reflexive thematic analysis adolescent-maternal dyadic study

OBJECTIVE

Sensory elements are core features in chronic pain and autism, yet knowledge of the pain experience in autistic adolescents is limited. Little is known regarding how autistic adolescents experience chronic pain, manage their pain and perceive psychological treatment for their chronic pain.

METHODS

Ten autistic adolescents (6 female, 3 male, and 1 self-identified as agender) with chronic pain and their mothers (n = 10) participated in semistructured interviews concerning their perceptions of living with chronic pain. Participants were recruited from U.K. pain management services. According to preference, interviews were conducted individually (n = 10) or dyadically (n = 10 participants across 5 dyads). Data were analyzed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Two themes were generated. Theme 1, "overstimulated and striving for control" described how adolescents' experience of heightened sensitivity enhanced adolescents' levels of anxiety and subsequent pain, illustrating a reciprocal relationship between anxiety, pain, and sensory elements. Theme 2, "not everyone fits the mold" captured how autistic adolescents positioned themselves as distinct from others due to the unique nature of being autistic and living with pain. This sense of difference negatively impacted adolescents' ability to engage with and benefit from the standard treatment for chronic pain.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that autistic adolescents living with pain experience pain and face barriers to effective pain treatment. Our results identify the need for educational resources to facilitate clinicians to better understand the experience of autistic adolescents living with pain. In turn, such understanding may improve treatment and outcomes in this population.

On the specificity of figurative language comprehension impairment in schizophrenia and its relation to cognitive skills but not psychopathological symptoms - Study on metaphor, humor and irony

People with schizophrenia have difficulty understanding figurative expressions, such as metaphors, humor or irony. The present study investigated the specificity of figurative language impairment in schizophrenia and its relation with cognitive and psychotic symptoms. It included 54 schizophrenia and 54 age and sex-matched healthy subjects who performed a cognitive screening (ACE-III) and figurative language comprehension task consisting of 60 short stories with three types of endings: a figurative one and its literal and an absurd (meaningless) counterparts. Each figurative domain - metaphor, humor, irony - was split into two sub-domains, i.e., conventional and novel metaphors, intended-to-be-funny and social-norm-violation jokes, simple irony and critical sarcasm, respectively. The main findings are: i) in schizophrenia, figurative language deficit manifests itself in each domain; ii) the most pronounced subdomain-specific impairment has been found for novel vs conventional metaphors and irony vs sarcasm; iii) altered figurative language comprehension was related to diminished cognitive abilities but not to psychopathology symptoms (PANSS) or other clinical characteristics. This may suggest that figurative language impairment, as a specific part of communication deficit, may be regarded as an essential characteristic of schizophrenia, related to primary cognitive deficits but independent of psychopathology.

Insights into Oral and Written Competencies in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

The study of language abilities offers privileged insights to access the multifaceted world of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD, henceforth), showing how particular aspects of language may be handled differently as a function of typical neuropsychological features of specific disorders [...].

Proverb comprehension in schizophrenia: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis.2

BACKGROUND

Examination of proverb comprehension has a long tradition in clinical diagnostics of individuals with schizophrenia (iSCZ). Deficits in the comprehension are considered common. Interpretations of proverbs are traditionally measured by their degree of abstraction and concreteness ('literalness'), but iSCZ's responses may also be illogical or 'bizarre'. Experimental research on proverb comprehension starts in the 1940s. Since then, the specificity of proverb tests has often been questioned, but has never been the subject of a meta-analysis. The aim of this meta-analysis is to include all experimental research, including historical studies, that meets quality criteria and compares the responses to proverbs in iSCZ with those in healthy controls (HC) or clinical controls (CC).

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycInfo databases were searched. After coding 121 articles, 27 (median publication year 1982) were included and multi-level meta-analyses performed. Moderator analyses were performed on response format (multiple-choice vs. verbal responses), proverb test, scoring method, language, acute vs. chronic stage of iSCZ, time of publication, clinical vs. healthy control group, age, IQ/education, and gender. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots, trim and fill method and Egger's test.

RESULTS

The search identified 27 eligible studies for inclusion. Studies were published between 1956 and 2020 and predominantly older than 30 years (median: 1982). The Gorham Proverbs Test was the most established test and predominantly conducted in English. CC mostly consisted of depressive disorders. Pooled estimates yielded statistically significant less abstract (g = -1.00; 95%CI, -1.34 to -1.67), more concrete (g = 0.69; 95%CI, 0.35-1.03), and more bizarre (g = 1.08; 95%CI, 0.74-1.41) responses in iSCZ compared to controls. The type of control group moderated all three effects, with greater differences of iSCZ compared to HC than to CC in abstraction and bizarreness, and no significant group difference between iSCZ and CC in concreteness. Meta-regressions indicated IQ/education and age as possible sources of variability in abstraction and bizarreness.

CONCLUSIONS

While lower abstraction and higher bizarreness seems a characteristic of iSCZ, the diagnostic specificity of a concrete response was astonishingly low. The lack of a unified definition for concretism and limited consideration of cultural diversity contributed to these complex findings. Future research should focus on exploring the qualitative aspects of proverb comprehension and the association between symptomatology types and misinterpretations to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Oral language interventions can improve language outcomes in children with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Young people who fail to develop language as expected face significant challenges in all aspects of life. Unfortunately, language disorders are common, either as a distinct condition (e.g., Developmental Language Disorder) or as a part of another neurodevelopmental condition (e.g., autism). Finding ways to attenuate language problems through intervention has the potential to yield great benefits not only for the individual but also for society as a whole.

Objectives

This meta-analytic review examined the effect of oral language interventions for children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Search Methods

The last electronic search was conducted in April 2022.

Selection Criteria

Intervention studies had to target language skills for children from 2 to 18 years of age with Developmental Language Disorder, autism, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, and Williams syndrome in randomised controlled trials or quasi-experimental designs. Control groups had to include business-as-usual, waiting list, passive or active conditions. However, we excluded studies in which the active control group received a different type, delivery, or dosage of another language intervention. Eligible interventions implemented explicit and structured activities (i.e., explicit instruction of vocabulary, narrative structure or grammatical rules) and/or implicit and broad activities (i.e., shared book reading, general language stimulation). The intervention studies had to assess language skills in receptive and/or expressive modalities.

Data Collection and Analysis

The search provided 8195 records after deduplication. Records were screened by title and abstract, leading to full-text examinations of 448 records. We performed Correlated and Hierarchical Effects models and ran a retrospective power analysis via simulation. Publication bias was assessed via p-curve and precision-effect estimate.

Main Results

We examined 38 studies, with 46 group comparisons and 108 effects comparing pre-/post-tests and eight studies, with 12 group comparisons and 21 effects at follow-up. The results showed a mean effect size of d = 0.27 at the post-test and d = 0.18 at follow-up. However, there was evidence of publication bias and overestimation of the mean effects. Effects from the meta-analysis were significantly related to these elements: (1) receptive vocabulary and omnibus receptive measures showed smaller effect sizes relative to expressive vocabulary, grammar, expressive and receptive discourse, and omnibus expressive tests; and (2) the length of the intervention, where longer sessions conducted over a longer period of time were more beneficial than brief sessions and short-term interventions. Neither moderators concerning participants' characteristics (children's diagnosis, diagnostic status, age, sex, and non-verbal cognitive ability and severity of language impairment), nor those regarding of the treatment components and implementation of the language interventions (intervention content, setting, delivery agent, session structure of the intervention or total number of sessions) reached significance. The same occurred to indicators of study quality. The risk of bias assessment showed that reporting quality for the studies examined in the review was poor.

Authors’ Conclusions

In sum, the current evidence base is promising but inconclusive. Pre-registration and replication of more robust and adequately powered trials, which include a wider range of diagnostic conditions, together with more long-term follow-up comparisons, are needed to drive evidence-based practice and policy.

Linguistic Skills and Socioeconomic Status: Two Oft Forgotten Factors in Child Metaphor Comprehension

Metaphor understanding can be tricky for children until mid-childhood, yet some research suggests that pre-schoolers are already competent. Many factors have been proposed to play a role in the development of metaphor comprehension. In this study we focus on two obvious contenders that have been overlooked in recent years: general language skills and socioeconomic status (SES). Two-hundred and seventy-two children, aged from 2;11 to 11;04 (146 girls) were recruited from 21 British schools and nurseries. Their SES was established using a composite measure linked to school location, while general language skills were assessed using a standardised measure of vocabulary comprehension. Novel metaphor comprehension was tested with a simple reference assignment task. Our study confirms that children interpret novel metaphors confidently from the age of 4. Our findings indicate that novel metaphor understanding is associated with age and, importantly, that it is linked to vocabulary skills, as well as SES, but not gender. These two factors should therefore be considered in future research on metaphor development, as well as intervention and education.

More than one path to pragmatics? Insights from children's grasp of implicit, figurative and ironical meaning

Human communication requires impressive inferential abilities and mind-reading skills. To learn how to speak and become competent communicators children need both. The development of pragmatic abilities presents us with a puzzle. On the one hand, much evidence suggests pragmatics play a grounding role in early communication and language acquisition. On the other, preschoolers find linguistic pragmatic inferences such as implicatures, metaphor and irony difficult to grasp. Apperly and Butterfill (2009) maintain that there are two separate systems for belief reasoning: a simpler one and a more sophisticated one that develops later. Along this line of reasoning we might also expect there to be two separate kinds of pragmatic abilities: an early set using (among other things) the simpler Theory of Mind system, and a more sophisticated one appearing later in childhood and using full-blown Theory of Mind. I will argue there is no need to divide pragmatic abilities in such a way to bridge the gap between the pragmatic inferential skills found in toddlers and the difficulties observed in preschoolers. Evidence from the past two decades indicates that phenomena such as implicatures and metaphor (but not irony) can be understood earlier than previously established. Additionally, children's apparent struggle with specific pragmatic inferences might be better explained by factors independent from pragmatic competence, but which interact with it.

Neural underpinnings of processing combinatorial unstated meaning and the influence of individual cognitive style

We investigated the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the processing of combinatorial unstated meaning. Sentences like "Charles jumped for 5 minutes." engender an iterative meaning that is not explicitly stated but enriched by comprehenders beyond simple composition. Comprehending unstated meaning involves meaning contextualization-integrative meaning search in sentential-discourse context. Meanwhile, people differ in how they process information with varying context sensitivity. We hypothesized that unstated meaning processing would vary with individual socio-cognitive propensity indexed by the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), accompanied by differential cortical engagements. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined the processing of sentences with unstated iterative meaning in typically-developed individuals and found an engagement of the fronto-parietal network, including the left pars triangularis (L.PT), right intraparietal (R.IPS), and parieto-occipital sulcus (R.POS). We suggest that the L.PT subserves a contextual meaning search, while the R.IPS/POS supports enriching unstated iteration in consideration of event durations and interval lengths. Moreover, the activation level of these regions negatively correlated with AQ. Higher AQ ties to lower L.PT activation, likely reflecting weaker context sensitivity, along with lower IPS activation, likely reflecting weaker computation of events' numerical-temporal specifications. These suggest that the L.PT and R.IPS/POS support the processing of combinatorial unstated meaning, with the activation level modulated by individual cognitive styles.

Comprehension of indirect answers: Developmental trajectory for preschool- and early elementary school-aged children with typical development

Indirect answers are a common type of non-literal language that do not provide an explicit "yes" or "no" to a question (e.g., "I have to work late" indirectly answered "Are you going to the party?" with a negative response). In the current study, we examined the developmental trajectory of comprehension of indirect answers among 5- to 10-year-old children with typical development. Forty-eight children, 23 boys and 25 girls, between the ages of 5 years; 0 months and 10 years; 11 months (M = 8;2, SD = 19.77 months) completed an experimental task to judge whether a verbally presented indirect answer meant yes or no (Comprehension Task) and then explain their choice (Explanation Task). Responses were scored for accuracy and coded for error analysis. On the Comprehension Task, the 5- to 8-year-olds performed with approximately 85% accuracy, while the 9- and 10-year-olds achieved 95% accuracy. On the Explanation Task, the cross-sectional trajectory revealed three stages: the 5- and 6-year-olds adequately explained indirect answers 32% of the time, the 7- and 8-year-olds performed significantly higher at 55%, and the 9- and 10-year-olds made significant gains than the younger children at 66%. Error analysis revealed that when children fail to interpret speaker intentions appropriately, they repeat the speaker's utterance or provide an insufficient explanation 80% of the time. Other responses, such as those irrelevant to the context, indicating "I don't know" or no response, or that were made-up interpretations each accounted for 2%-10% of total inadequate explanations. Study findings indicate discrepancies between task performances and offer two separate sets of baseline data for future comparisons that investigate comprehension or explanation of indirect answers by children with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds and by those with varying cognitive and language profiles.

The Development of Intuitive and Analytic Thinking in Autism: The Case of Cognitive Reflection

The cognitive reflection test (CRT) is a short measure of a person's ability to resist intuitive response tendencies, and to produce normatively correct responses that are assumed to be based on effortful, analytic thinking. A remarkable characteristic of the CRT is that although the questions are open-ended, for each item, the vast majority of people either produce a correct, analytic response or a typical incorrect (i.e., intuitive) response. This unique feature of the CRT makes it possible to investigate the question of whether autistic and neurotypical people share the same intuitions. We report a study that included adolescents and young adults. In both age groups, autistic and neurotypical participants were matched on age, gender, cognitive ability, and educational background. In line with previous findings, the results showed an age-related increase in analytic responding on the CRT, and a decrease in intuitive responding. Crucially, the proportion of both intuitive and analytic responses across autistic and neurotypical participants was identical in both age groups. The current results are in contrast with claims that autistic individuals have an increased tendency toward an analytic/rational type of processing, which is commonly attributed to an impairment within their intuitive reasoning mechanisms.

The Relationship between Semantic Joke and Idiom Comprehension in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Semantic jokes involve resolving an incongruity emerging from wordplay or from a violation of world knowledge. The research has shown individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate a lower performance on humor tasks involving social situations; however, less is known about their semantic joke comprehension. This study examines semantic joke comprehension among adolescents with ASD and its possible relationship to vocabulary size, theory of mind (ToM), and idiom comprehension. Thirty-two adolescents with ASD and 32 typically developed (TD) peers participated. Semantic joke comprehension was assessed via a multiple-choice questionnaire and time-limited computer program. Vocabulary, ToM abilities, and idiom comprehension were also tested. The results reveal that adolescents with ASD are as fast in processing semantic jokes as their age- and vocabulary-matched TD peers, but less accurate. Age and idiom comprehension significantly contributed to semantic joke comprehension among both groups. As semantic joke comprehension is based on incongruity resolution, the greater difficulties in comprehension among the adolescents with ASD may have been due to deficits in simultaneously retaining two alternative interpretations and selecting the relevant one (and not due reduced ToM abilities). Similar to the TD group, semantic joke comprehension among the ASD group appeared to be more developed with age.

Should We Continue to Tell Autistic People that Their Brains are Different?

Autism is often considered to reflect categorically 'different brains'. Neuropsychological research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) however, has struggled to define this difference, or derive clear-cut boundaries between autism and non-autism. Consequently, restructuring or disbanding the ASD diagnosis is becoming increasingly advocated within research. Nonetheless, autism now exists as a salient social construction, of which 'difference' is a key facet. Clinical and educational professionals must influence this cautiously, as changes to autism's social construction may counterproductively affect the quality of life of autistic people. This paper therefore reviews ASD's value as both neuropsychological and social constructs. Although lacking neuropsychological validity, the autism label may be beneficial for autistic self-identity, reduction of stigma, and administering support. Whilst a shift away from case-control ASD research is warranted, lay notions of 'different brains' may be preserved.

Language in autism: domains, profiles and co-occurring conditions

This article reviews the current knowledge state on pragmatic and structural language abilities in autism and their potential relation to extralinguistic abilities and autistic traits. The focus is on questions regarding autism language profiles with varying degrees of (selective) impairment and with respect to potential comorbidity of autism and language impairment: Is language impairment in autism the co-occurrence of two distinct conditions (comorbidity), a consequence of autism itself (no comorbidity), or one possible combination from a series of neurodevelopmental properties (dimensional approach)? As for language profiles in autism, three main groups are identified, namely, (i) verbal autistic individuals without structural language impairment, (ii) verbal autistic individuals with structural language impairment, and (iii) minimally verbal autistic individuals. However, this tripartite distinction hides enormous linguistic heterogeneity. Regarding the nature of language impairment in autism, there is currently no model of how language difficulties may interact with autism characteristics and with various extralinguistic cognitive abilities. Building such a model requires carefully designed explorations that address specific aspects of language and extralinguistic cognition. This should lead to a fundamental increase in our understanding of language impairment in autism, thereby paving the way for a substantial contribution to the question of how to best characterize neurodevelopmental disorders.

Transactional relationships between maternal requesting and responsivity, adolescent compliance, and task demands in fragile X syndrome

BACKGROUND

Males with fragile X syndrome (FXS) may have difficulty with social communication and language in addition to behavioral concerns such as noncompliance to maternal requests. Mothers vary in how they pose requests to their children, and contextual demands may also be a factor in compliance. This study examined the relationships between maternal requesting behaviors, maternal responsivity, child compliance, and task demands in adolescent males with FXS.

METHODS

35 mother-son dyads completed three interactive tasks during in-home visits (puzzle, iPad games, snack). The adolescents also completed assessments of language and autism symptoms. The three interactive tasks were video-recorded, and behavior-by-behavior coding and transcription was completed.

RESULTS

Comparing between tasks, mothers requested a behavior most often during the snack task and used a higher proportion of indirect requests during the iPad task. Adolescents were largely compliant across tasks, with average compliance equal to 70%. Adolescent compliance was predicted by maternal request frequency such that mothers who used more requests had adolescent sons who were less compliant. Maternal responsivity was higher for mothers of adolescents with FXS-only compared to those with FXS and high autism symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Task demands may have influenced maternal requesting, which in turn may have impacted adolescent compliance. Compliance with requests is important for both social and educational aspects of life, and further study of requesting and compliance in FXS is needed to identify effective teaching and behavioral intervention methods.

Theory of mind in naturalistic conversations between autistic and typically developing children and adolescents

LAY ABSTRACT

Conversation is a key part of everyday social interactions. Previous studies have suggested that conversational skills are related to theory of mind, the ability to think about other people's mental states, such as beliefs, knowledge, and emotions. Both theory of mind and conversation are common areas of difficulty for autistic people, yet few studies have investigated how people, including autistic people, use theory of mind during conversation. We developed a new way of measuring cToM using two rating scales: cToM Positive captures behaviors that show consideration of a conversation partner's mental states, such as referring to their thoughts or feelings, whereas cToM Negative captures behaviors that show a lack of theory of mind through violations of neurotypical conversational norms, such as providing too much, too little, or irrelevant information. We measured cToM in 50 pairs of autistic and typically developing children (ages 8-16 years) during 5-min "getting to know you" conversations. Compared to typically developing children, autistic children displayed more frequent cToM Negative behaviors but very similar rates of cToM Positive behaviors. Across both groups, cToM Negative (but not Positive) ratings were related to difficulties in recognizing emotions from facial expressions and a lower tendency to talk about others' mental states spontaneously (i.e., without being instructed to do so), which suggests that both abilities are important for theory of mind in conversation. Altogether, this study highlights both strengths and difficulties among autistic individuals, and it suggests possible avenues for further research and for improving conversational skills.

Word learning in ASD: the sensorimotor, the perceptual and the symbolic

Word learning requires successful pairing of form and meaning. A common hypothesis about the process of word learning is that initially, infants work on identifying the phonological segments corresponding to words (speech analysis), and subsequently map those segments onto meaning. A range of theories have been proposed to account for the underlying mechanisms and factors in this remarkable achievement. While some are mainly concerned with the sensorimotor affordances and perceptual properties of referents out in the world, other theories emphasize the importance of language as a system, and the relations among language units (other words or syntax). Recent approaches inspired by neuro-science suggest that the storage and processing of word meanings is supported by neural systems subserving both the representation of conceptual knowledge and its access and use (Lambon Ralph et al., Nature Reviews Neuroscience 18:42–55, 2017). Developmental disorders have been attested to impact on different aspects of word learning. While impaired word knowledge is not a hallmark of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and remains largely understudied in this population, there is evidence that there are, sometimes subtle, problems in that domain, reflected in both how such knowledge is acquired and how words are used (Vulchanova et al., Word knowledge and word usage: A cross-disciplinary guide to the mental lexicon, Mouton De Gruyter, 2020). In addition, experimental evidence suggests that children with autism present with specific problems in categorizing the referents of linguistic labels leading to subsequent problems with using those labels (Hartley and Allen, Autism 19:570–579, 2015). Furthermore, deficits have been reported in some of the underlying mechanisms, biases and use of cues in word learning, such as e.g., object shape (Field et al., Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 46:1210–1219, 2016; Tek et al., Autism Research 1:208–222, 2008). Finally, it is likely that symbol use might be impaired in ASD, however, the direction of the causal relationship between social and communication impairment in autism and symbolic skills is still an open question (Allen and Lewis, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 45:1–3, 2015; Allen and Butler, British Journal of Developmental Psychology 38:345–362, 2020; Wainwright et al., Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 50:2941–2956, 2020). Further support for impaired symbol formation in autism comes from the well-attested problems with figurative, non-literal language use (e.g., metaphors, idioms, hyperbole, irony) (Vulchanova et al., Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 9:24, 2015). Here we propose that embodied theories of cognition which link perceptual experience with conceptual knowledge (see Eigsti, Frontiers in Psychology 4:224, 2013; Klin et al., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 358:345–360, 2003) might be useful in explaining the difficulty in symbolic understanding that individuals with autism face during the word learning process.

Atypical vocabulary acquisition in autism: where is it coming from?

Word-learning development is extremely varied among children with autism, with some showing a peak of abilities in vocabulary and others little or no comprehension or expression of isolated words. Typical word learning mechanisms, such as the application of mutual exclusivity, cross-situational mapping, the whole-object principle, and the noun-naming bias also share this heterogeneity: some mechanisms appear to develop in a typical fashion and others depend on the individuals’ language level. The reason for which word-learning processes could be atypical in autism is still the object of debate. Atypical attentional biases or early social interaction could both play a role in early word acquisition. But it is also unclear whether differences in vocabulary acquisition simply reflect the impact of co-morbid language impairment or there is a degree of specificity in autism. Finally, I propose that a more dimensional view in the study of word learning could be useful to move the field forward.

Autistic adults and adults with sub-clinical autistic traits differ from non-autistic adults in social-pragmatic inferencing and narrative discourse

Since prior research has mostly focused on children, less is known about how autistic adults and adults with sub-clinical autistic traits interpret pragmatically complex social situations and the kind of narrative discourse they produce. 32 autistic young adults, 18 young adults with sub-clinical autistic traits and 34 non-autistic young adults participated this study. They were shown videos of social interactions which required complex pragmatic processing and were asked to freely narrate what they thought was occurring in each video. Their narratives were coded for aspects of social-pragmatic and narrative discourse. The results indicate that the autistic and sub-clinical groups differed from the comparison group in what they inferred as relevant video content. The narratives of the autistic group also differed from the comparison group in meaning, focus and emphasis on details. In addition, the comparison group produced more holistic narratives whereas the autistic and sub-clinical groups produced more atomistic narratives. Correlational findings indicated that perceptual reasoning has stronger associations with pragmatic inferencing in the autistic and sub-clinical groups than in the comparison group. This study suggests that autistic adults and adults with sub-clinical autistic traits differ from non-autistic adults in what they perceive to be relevant in their social world.

Lay Abstract

Previous social-pragmatic and narrative research involving autistic individuals has mostly focused on children. Little is known about how autistic adults and adults who have autistic traits but do not have a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) interpret complex social situations and tell narratives about these situations. We asked 32 autistic young adults, 18 adults with autistic traits but no ASD diagnosis, and 34 non-autistic young adults to watch socially complex situations and freely tell narratives about what they thought was occurring in each situation. These narratives were analysed for how the participants had interpreted the situations and for the type of narratives they produced. We found that the groups had both similarities and differences. Regarding the differences, we found that the autistic adults and adults with autistic traits interpreted the situations differently from the non-autistic adults. The autistic adults found different aspects of the situations relevant, had different foci and placed greater importance on details than the non-autistic adults. The autistic adults and adults with autistic traits also differed from the non-autistic adults by having more detail- and event-focused narratives whereas the non-autistic adults were more likely to base their narratives on their own broad interpretations of the situations. Perceptual processing styles appeared to play a bigger role in interpreting the situations for the autistic adults and adults with autistic traits than the non-autistic adults. Our findings suggest that autistic adults and adults with autistic traits focus on different aspects in their social world than non-autistic adults.

Irony detection in patients with borderline personality disorder: an experimental study examining schizotypal traits, response biases and empathy

BACKGROUND

In verbal irony we often convey meanings that oppose the literal words. To look behind these words, we need to integrate perspectives of ourselves, others, and their beliefs about us. Although patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience problems in social cognition and schizotypal symptoms, research on irony comprehension mainly focused on the schizophrenic spectrum. Accounting for possible negative biases in BPD, the current study examined the detection of praising and critical irony in a text messaging interface.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study included 30 patients and 30 matched controls, who completed measures of cognitive and affective empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index, IRI), schizotypal (Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire; SPQ), and borderline symptoms (Borderline Symptom List; BSL-23) and the irony detection task. The irony task contained critical and praising remarks embedded in text messages. Asking for literality (ironic vs. literal) and intention ratings (critical to praising) of the stimuli, it allowed to analyze the sensitivity of literality detection as well as implicit and explicit response biases in a signal detection framework.

RESULTS

Borderline symptoms explained lower sensitivity for the detection of literal and ironic statements across groups. Whereas HC showed a negativity bias when implicitly asked about the literalness of the statement, patients with BPD perceived praising utterances as less praising when explicitly asked about their perceived intention. Neither empathy nor schizotypy explained outcomes beyond borderline symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This was the first study to show lower detection of verbal irony in patients with BPD. While patients were less biased when asked about the literality of a statement, they perceived praising remarks as less positive on explicit measurements. The results highlight the importance of congruent, transparent communication in promoting epistemic trust in individuals with BPD.

Aberrant prefrontal functional connectivity during verbal fluency test is associated with reading comprehension deficits in autism spectrum disorder: An fNIRS study

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show marked difficulties in reading comprehension, a complex cognitive skill fundamental to successful daily functioning that is associated with core executive functions. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying reading comprehension deficits in these children remain elusive. Twenty-one right-handed males with high-functioning ASD (mean age = 10.24 years) and 23 age-, IQ-, educational level-, sex- and handedness-matched typically developing (TD; mean age = 10.14 years) individuals underwent a reading comprehension test and the semantic verbal fluency test that tapped core executive functions underlying reading comprehension during concurrent prefrontal functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) measurement. Participants’ information processing efficiency was also assessed. High-functioning ASD children exhibited general reading comprehension [main effect of group: F(1,40) = 7.58, p = 0.009], selective verbal fluency deficits [Group × category interaction: F(1,42) = 4.90, p = 0.032] and slower processing speed (t42 = 2.36, p = 0.023). Regarding the hemodynamics of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), although ASD individuals showed comparable patterns of PFC brain activation to their healthy counterparts, lower PFC intrahemispheric [main effect of group: F(1,42) = 11.36, p = 0.002] and interhemispheric [main effect of group: F(1,42) = 7.79, p = 0.008] functional connectivity were evident during the semantic verbal fluency test. At the whole-group level, poorer reading comprehension performance was associated with poorer performance in the semantic verbal fluency test (r42 = 0.508, p < 0.001). Moreover, poorer semantic verbal fluency test performance was associated with slower information processing speed (r42 = –0.312, p = 0.044), which is associated with reduced left medial PFC functional connectivity (r42 = –0.319, p = 0.040). Abnormal intrahemispheric and interhemispheric prefrontal hypoconnectivity is associated with deficits in executive processes essential for reading comprehension in ASD. Our study has provided important implications for the neuropsychological and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying reading comprehension deficits in ASD.

N400 differences between physical and mental metaphors: The role of Theories of Mind

Whether Theory of Mind (ToM) contributes to metaphor understanding has been largely investigated in language acquisition and decay. Yet we know very little about the role of ToM in real-time processing of metaphors in neurotypical adults. Here, we tested the relationship between ToM and metaphor through Event Related Potentials (ERPs) by capitalizing on the difference between metaphors inviting inferences on physical (Boxers are pandas) vs. mental aspects (Teachers are books). Physical metaphors involved a larger and sustained negativity compared to mental ones. This pattern resembled concreteness effects and suggests that physical metaphors may benefit from both verbal and perceptual information. Moreover, higher scores in the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), but not in the Animation task, were associated with a reduction of the N400 amplitude for both physical and mental metaphors. When exploring the ERP temporal trajectory with Generalized Additive Mixed Modeling, earlier differences between metaphors characterized individuals with higher RMET scores. Among the various ToM components, thus, emotion recognition seems to be involved in the processing of metaphors in general, with an earlier impact on the mental type. These findings highlight the multifaceted nature of metaphor, at the crossroad of language, social and perceptual experience.

The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic by persons with ASD: Social aspects

While causing a variety of social restrictions, the COVID-19 pandemic has also precipitated the digitalisation of public services and official procedures, reducing many, until recently necessary, immediate social interactions. This study has been conducted to investigate their perception of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on their current and future social interactions. To this end, semi-structured narrative interviews were conducted. Ten adults on the autism spectrum participated in the study. The phenomenological analysis of the narratives focused on categories related to the social functioning of the study participants. The interpretation of the narratives has shown that autistic people can experience a sense of loss due to the lack of direct contact. On the other hand, we also talked to the participants who expressed their satisfaction with the situation of obligatory social distance. The respondents also discussed the subject of changing the form of interaction in some areas of public life to one that is more adjusted to the needs of people with their condition. The study concludes with a suggestion that autistic people might benefit from technological progress in institutions and the availability of the option to prefer online contact for interactions that are not strictly necessary.

Individual Differences in Indirect Speech Act Processing Found Outside the Language Network

Face-to-face communication requires skills that go beyond core language abilities. In dialogue, we routinely make inferences beyond the literal meaning of utterances and distinguish between different speech acts based on, e.g., contextual cues. It is, however, not known whether such communicative skills potentially overlap with core language skills or other capacities, such as theory of mind (ToM). In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study we investigate these questions by capitalizing on individual variation in pragmatic skills in the general population. Based on behavioral data from 199 participants, we selected participants with higher vs. lower pragmatic skills for the fMRI study (N = 57). In the scanner, participants listened to dialogues including a direct or an indirect target utterance. The paradigm allowed participants at the whole group level to (passively) distinguish indirect from direct speech acts, as evidenced by a robust activity difference between these speech acts in an extended language network including ToM areas. Individual differences in pragmatic skills modulated activation in two additional regions outside the core language regions (one cluster in the left lateral parietal cortex and intraparietal sulcus and one in the precuneus). The behavioral results indicate segregation of pragmatic skill from core language and ToM. In conclusion, contextualized and multimodal communication requires a set of interrelated pragmatic processes that are neurocognitively segregated: (1) from core language and (2) partly from ToM.

Feeling Thrown for a Loop? The Effects of Inferencing on Spoken Language Idiom Comprehension in Autism

PURPOSE

The aim of this review is to illuminate the connection between inferential skills and spoken language idiom comprehension (SLIC) with a focus on autism. Idioms are frequently occurring figurative expressions, such as feeling blue, on cloud nine, and all tied up, that have literal and nonliteral meanings.

METHOD

In this review article, an overview of SLIC is provided, highlighting the importance of inferential skills and other pertinent factors and theories contributing to idiom acquisition in autistic children. The search criteria used included peer-reviewed journal articles from 1982 to 2021 to synthesize both seminal and current research on this topic. Though some articles selected for this review did not focus on idioms in spoken language, they were deemed necessary for analyzing various aspects impacting idiom development and comprehension.

RESULTS

Research shows that figurative language differences are a hallmark feature of autism, causing idioms to be interpreted literally. Occurring in everyday spoken and written language, idiom comprehension is essential for adequate communication in daily interactions. Poor inferential abilities directly impact SLIC and have negative implications on social and academic outcomes. Several factors contributing to SLIC have been highlighted in the literature, including transparency (semantic analyzability), familiarity, and context.

CONCLUSIONS

The comparable skills underpinning inferential comprehension and SLIC raise the argument that SLIC is incumbent upon intact inferential abilities. As such, autistic children will benefit from utilizing inference from context to deduce idiomatic meanings. Future directions for research and recommendations for improving SLIC in clinical practice are offered.

Youth and Caregivers' Perspective on Teens Engaged as Mentors (TEAM): An Inclusive Peer Mentoring Program for Autistic Adolescents

Past studies indicate that many autistic youth benefit from support with developing social relationships, exploring leadership opportunities, and engaging in post-secondary education. Teens Engaged as Mentors (TEAM) is an innovative mentoring program that provides socialization and community engagement opportunities in a safe environment for youth with and without autism. This qualitative study explored how participants and their caregivers perceived participation in TEAM. Stakeholder focus groups were conducted annually from 2016 to 2020 with 16 autistic mentees (ages 9-13), 30 autistic and neurotypical mentors (ages 14-21), and 30 caregivers. Participants reported enjoying TEAM because of increased socialization opportunities, which promoted friendships and openness toward others. Caregivers reported growth in their children's social skills and confidence throughout their participation.

Neurological consultation with an autistic patient

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition with a very heterogeneous presentation. Autistic people are more likely to have unmet healthcare needs, making it essential that healthcare professionals are 'autism-aware'. In this article, we provide an overview of how autism presents and use case studies to illustrate how a neurological consultation in an outpatient clinic environment could prove challenging for a autistic person. We suggest how to improve communication with autistic patients in clinic and highlight the importance of a patient-centred and flexible approach.

Stage 2 registered report: investigating a preference for certainty in conversation among autistic adults

Social communication difficulties are a diagnostic feature in autism. These difficulties are sometimes attributed, at least in part, to impaired ability in making inferences about what other people mean. In this registered report, we tested a competing hypothesis that the communication profile of adults on the autism spectrum can be more strongly characterised by reduced confidence in making inferences in the face of uncertain information. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the performance of 102 autistic and 109 non-autistic adults on a test of implied meaning, using a test of grammaticality judgements as a control task. We hypothesised that autistic adults would report substantially lower confidence, allowing for differences in accuracy, than non-autistic adults on the test of implied meaning compared to the grammaticality test. However, our results did not suggest this. Instead, we found that accuracy and confidence were both reduced to a similar extent on the test of implied meaning in the autistic group compared to the control group, although these were only subtle differences. This pattern of results was specific to inference-making, as the autistic and non-autistic groups did not differ on the grammar test. This supports the idea that specific differences in pragmatic language processing can exist in autism in the absence of core language problems. Importantly, this pattern of results (differences on the test of implied meaning and no differences on the grammar test) was reversed in a group with self-reported reading difficulties, indicating that the differences in inference-making were specific to the autistic group. Lastly, we found relationships between Intolerance of Uncertainty, performance on the test of implied meaning, and self-reported social communication challenges. This supports the idea that discomfort with uncertainty plays a role in the pragmatic language and communication challenges in autism.

A novel online assessment of pragmatic and core language skills: An attempt to tease apart language domains in children

It remains unclear whether pragmatic language skills and core language skills (grammar and vocabulary) are distinct language domains. The present work aimed to tease apart these domains using a novel online assessment battery administered to almost 400 children aged 7 to 13 years. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that pragmatic and core language domains could be measured separately, but that both domains were highly related (r = .79). However, zero-order correlations between pragmatic tests were quite small, indicating that task-specific skills played an important role in performance, and follow-up exploratory factor analysis suggested that pragmatics might be best understood as a family of skills rather than a domain. This means that these different pragmatic skills may have different cognitive underpinnings and also need to be assessed separately. However, our overall results supported the idea that pragmatic and core aspects of language are closely related during development, with one area scaffolding development in the other.

Identification of signs of dyslexia test

Screening instruments can help to characterize the academic and neuropsychological difficulties of individuals with Dyslexia. The aim of this study was to verify whether there would be differences in performance in the Identification of Signs of Dyslexia Test (TISD) when a group of children with Dyslexia was compared other diagnostic groups of children with level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Disability (ID), Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Borderline Intellectual Functioning and Academic Difficulties. Participants were 172 children that had been diagnosed by interdisciplinary teams and average age ranging from 8.75 (SD = 2.21) to 10.14 (SD = 2.36) year-old. Comparison and association analyzes were performed using Univariate Analysis of Variance and Multinomial Logistic Regression, respectively. The results indicated that the ID and ASD groups presented more impaired performances. Additionally, the TISD was sensitive enough to identify differences between the Dyslexia and ASD groups, with the latter presenting worse performance. However, with the other groups, such differences were not observed. Complementary studies, with larger samples, are necessary, considering the effects of other variables associated with the disorders studied.

Barriers to Employment: Raters' Perceptions of Male Autistic and Non-Autistic Candidates During a Simulated Job Interview and the Impact of Diagnostic Disclosure

Background

Autistic individuals face low rates of engagement in the labor force. There is evidence that job interviews pose a significant barrier to autistic people entering the workforce. In this experimental study, we investigated the impact of diagnostic disclosure on decisions concerning candidate suitability during job interviews.

Methods

Participants (n = 357; 59% female) from the general population rated 10 second "thin slices" of simulated job interviews of one male autistic and one male non-autistic candidate. In a between-subjects design, autism diagnostic disclosure was manipulated (None, Brief, and Detailed), so that neither ("None" condition) or both ("Brief" and "Detailed" conditions) candidates were labeled as autistic before the simulated interview (with additional information provided about autism in the "Detailed" condition).

Results

Results for 255 non-autistic raters (57.6% female) were analyzed. Participants gave more favorable ratings of first impressions, employability, and endorsement for candidates labeled as autistic, irrespective of the actual diagnostic status (i.e., autistic and non-autistic) of the individual. Participants rated non-autistic candidates more favorably on all employment measures (first impressions, employability, and endorsement), and "hired" non-autistic candidates more frequently, compared with autistic candidates. Providing additional information about autism did not result in improved ratings. However, the discrepancy between autistic and non-autistic people chosen for "hire" was reduced when more information was provided.

Conclusions

Although we found some support for the benefits of diagnostic disclosure during a simulated interview, these benefits were not restricted to autistic candidates and may be a positive bias associated with the diagnostic label. Contrary to our predictions, providing information about autism in addition to the diagnostic label did not have an overall impact on results. More research is required to determine whether benefits outweigh any risks of disclosure for autistic job candidates, and whether training interviewers about autism might improve employment outcomes for autistic job seekers.

Lay summary

Why was this study done?: Job interviews seem to be a barrier to employment for autistic people. This is problematic, as job interviews are typically a part of the job application process.What was the purpose of this study?: We wanted to explore how non-autistic people perceive male autistic job candidates, and how this compares with male non-autistic candidates. We also wanted investigate whether disclosing that the candidate was autistic changed the raters' judgments of candidates, and if these judgments improved if more information about autism and employment was provided.What did the researchers do?: We showed 357 non-autistic participants short video snippets (∼10 seconds) of two "job candidates" (people who had completed a simulated job interview). Each participant was shown one video of an autistic job candidate, and one video of a non-autistic job candidate. Participants rated the candidates on two scales (employability and first impressions). After watching both videos, they chose which of the two candidates they would "hire" and gave an endorsement rating for each.Participants were in one of three conditions. Participants in the first condition ("None") were not given information about autism before watching the two videos. Participants in the second condition ("Brief") were told that both of the candidates were autistic. Participants in the third condition ("Detailed") were told that both candidates were autistic and were also provided with information about autism and the workplace. We told raters in the Brief and Detailed conditions that both the autistic and non-autistic candidate were autistic to explore if the diagnostic label influenced raters' perceptions of candidates separately to the actual diagnostic status of candidates.What were the results of the study?: Overall, the participants rated non-autistic candidates more favorably compared with autistic candidates. Participants gave more favorable job interview ratings for candidates when they were labeled as autistic, showing the autism label made a difference to how raters perceived candidates. Participants given information about autism and employment did not rate the candidates any higher than those in other two conditions, but they did "hire" more autistic candidates than the other participants.What do these findings add to what was already known?: The findings of this study provide some support that diagnostic disclosure may improve perceptions of autistic candidates (by non-autistic people) at job interview. Providing information about autism and the workplace in addition to disclosure may also provide some benefit, but more data are needed.What are potential weaknesses in the study?: Our findings may not reflect real-world settings. Further studies are also needed that include people of other genders. Given the small number of stimuli videos, and the many differences between autistic people, the less favorable ratings of autistic people should be interpreted with caution.How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?: The results of this study provide some evidence that there may be some benefit of disclosing an autism diagnosis during a job interview to non-autistic people. However, diagnostic disclosure is a complex and personal choice.

Linking metaphor comprehension with analogical reasoning: Evidence from typical development and autism spectrum disorder

We examined the relationship between metaphor comprehension and verbal analogical reasoning in young adults who were either typically developing (TD) or diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The ASD sample was highly educated and high in verbal ability, and closely matched to a subset of TD participants on age, gender, educational background, and verbal ability. Additional TD participants with a broader range of abilities were also tested. Each participant solved sets of verbal analogies and metaphors in verification formats, allowing measurement of both accuracy and reaction times. Measures of individual differences in vocabulary, verbal working memory, and autistic traits were also obtained. Accuracy for both the verbal analogy and the metaphor task was very similar across the ASD and matched TD groups. However, reaction times on both tasks were longer for the ASD group. Additionally, stronger correlations between verbal analogical reasoning and working memory capacity in the ASD group indicated that processing verbal analogies was more effortful for them. In the case of both groups, accuracy on the metaphor and analogy tasks was correlated. A mediation analysis revealed that after controlling for working memory capacity, the inter-task correlation could be accounted for by the mediating variable of vocabulary knowledge, suggesting that the primary common mechanisms linking the two tasks involve language skills.

Monochannel Preference in Autism Spectrum Conditions Revealed by a Non-Visual Variant of Rubber Hand Illusion

Individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are less susceptible to multisensory delusions, such as rubber hand illusion (RHI). Here, we investigate whether a monochannel variant of RHI is more effective in inducing an illusory feeling of ownership in ASC. To this aim, we exploit a non-visual variant of the RHI that, excluding vision, leverages only on the somatosensory channel. While the visual-tactile RHI does not alter the perceived hand position in ASC individuals, the tacto-tactile RHI effectively modulates proprioception to a similar extent as that found in typical development individuals. These findings suggest a more effective integration of multiple inputs originating from the same sensory channel in ASC, revealing a monochannel preference in this population.

Social cognitive skills groups increase medial prefrontal cortex activity in children with autism spectrum disorder

Few studies have examined the neural mechanisms of change following social skills interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined the neural effects of social cognitive skills groups during functional MRI (fMRI) tasks of irony comprehension and eye gaze processing in school-aged children with ASD. Verbally fluent children (ages 8-11) were randomized to social cognitive skills groups or facilitated play comparison groups. Behavioral assessments and fMRI scans were obtained at baseline and endpoint (12 weeks). During fMRI, children completed two separate tasks to engage social cognition circuitry: comprehension of potentially ironic scenarios (n = 34) and viewing emotionally expressive faces with direct or averted gaze (n = 24). Whole-brain analyses were conducted to examine neural changes following treatment. Regression analyses were also conducted to explore the relationship between neural and behavioral changes. When comparing the two groups directly, the social cognitive skills group showed greater increases in activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), implicated in theory of mind, relative to the comparison group for both irony comprehension and gaze processing tasks. Increased mPFC activity during the irony task was associated with improvement in social functioning on the Social Responsiveness Scale across both groups. Findings indicate that social cognitive skills interventions may increase activity in regions associated with social cognition and mentalizing abilities. LAY SUMMARY: Social skills groups are a common intervention for school-aged children with ASD. However, few studies have examined the neural response to social skills groups in school-aged children with ASD. Here, we report on a study evaluating neural outcomes from an empirically supported social cognitive skills training curriculum using fMRI. This study seeks to understand the effects of targeting emotion recognition and theory of mind on the brain circuitry involved in social cognition in verbally fluent children ages 8-11. Results indicate increased neural activity in the mPFC, a region considered to be a central hub of the "social brain," in children randomized to social cognitive skills groups relative to a comparison group that received a high-quality, child-directed play approach. In addition, increased activation in the mPFC during an irony comprehension task was associated with gains in social functioning across both groups from pre- to post-treatment. This is the first fMRI study of social skills treatment outcomes following a randomized trial with an active treatment condition in school-aged children with ASD.

Emotion-Attention Interaction in the Right Hemisphere

Hemispheric asymmetries in affective and cognitive functions have been extensively studied. While both cerebral hemispheres contribute to most affective and cognitive processes, neuroscientific literature and neuropsychological evidence support an overall right hemispheric dominance for emotion, attention and arousal. Emotional stimuli, especially those with survival value such as threat, tend to be prioritized in attentional resource competition. Arousing unpleasant emotional stimuli have prioritized access, especially to right-lateralized attention networks. Interference of task performance may be observed when limited resources are exhausted by task- and emotion-related processing. Tasks that rely on right hemisphere-dependent processing, like attending to the left visual hemifield or global-level visual features, are especially vulnerable to interference due to attention capture by unpleasant emotional stimuli. The aim of this review is to present literature regarding the special role of the right hemisphere in affective and attentional brain processes and their interaction. Furthermore, clinical and technological implications of this interaction will be presented. Initially, the effects of focal right hemisphere lesion or atrophy on emotional functions will be introduced. Neurological right hemisphere syndromes including aprosodia, anosognosia and neglect, which further point to the predominance of the intact right hemisphere in emotion, attention and arousal will be presented. Then there will be a brief review of electrophysiological evidence, as well as evidence from patients with neglect that support attention capture by emotional stimuli in the right hemisphere. Subsequently, experimental work on the interaction of emotion, attention and cognition in the right hemispheres of healthy subjects will be presented. Finally, clinical implications for better understanding and assessment of alterations in emotion-attention interaction due to brain disorder or treatment, such as neuromodulation, that impact affective brain functions will be discussed. It will be suggested that measuring right hemispheric emotion-attention interactions may provide basis for novel biomarkers of brain health. Such biomarkers allow for improved diagnostics in brain damage and disorders and optimized treatments. To conclude, future technological applications will be outlined regarding brain physiology-based measures that reflect engagement of the right hemisphere in affective and attentional processes.