BACKGROUND: Three experiments investigated the role of inner speech deficit in cognitive performances of children with autism. METHODS: Experiment 1 compared children with autism with ability-matched controls on a verbal recall task presenting pictures and words. Experiment 2 used pictures for which the typical names were either single syllable or multisyllable. Two encoding conditions manipulated the use of verbal encoding. Experiment 3 employed a task-switching paradigm for which performance has been shown to be contingent upon inner speech. RESULTS: In Experiment 1, children with autism demonstrated a lower picture-superiority effect compared to controls. In Experiment 2, the children with autism showed a lower word-length effect when pictures were presented alone, but a more substantial word-length effect in a condition requiring overt labelling. In Experiment 3, articulatory suppression affected the task-switching performance of the control participants only. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with autism have limitations in their use of inner speech.
BACKGROUND: Three experiments investigated the role of inner speech deficit in cognitive performances of children with autism. METHODS: Experiment 1 compared children with autism with ability-matched controls on a verbal recall task presenting pictures and words. Experiment 2 used pictures for which the typical names were either single syllable or multisyllable. Two encoding conditions manipulated the use of verbal encoding. Experiment 3 employed a task-switching paradigm for which performance has been shown to be contingent upon inner speech. RESULTS: In Experiment 1, children with autism demonstrated a lower picture-superiority effect compared to controls. In Experiment 2, the children with autism showed a lower word-length effect when pictures were presented alone, but a more substantial word-length effect in a condition requiring overt labelling. In Experiment 3, articulatory suppression affected the task-switching performance of the control participants only. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with autism have limitations in their use of inner speech.
Authors: Rajesh K Kana; Timothy A Keller; Vladimir L Cherkassky; Nancy J Minshew; Marcel Adam Just Journal: Brain Date: 2006-07-10 Impact factor: 13.501
Authors: Chérif P Sahyoun; John W Belliveau; Isabelle Soulières; Shira Schwartz; Maria Mody Journal: Neuropsychologia Date: 2010-01 Impact factor: 3.139