NATURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF SPATIAL COGNITION IN AUTISM

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The overall goal of the proposed research is to examine the nature and development of spatial cognition in individuals with autism. Although previous research suggests that spatial cognition may be a strength in those with autism, research findings in this area are inconsistent and need further examination. For instance, central coherence theory claims that those with autism have difficulty attending to the gestalt and will focus more on the local parts of a spatial configuration. This theory is inconsistent with the possibility that individuals with autism may have a strength in the spatial domain because many spatial tasks require attention to both the global and local parts of configurations. Another inconsistency is evident between previous findings of executive deficits in autism and the findings that individuals with autism are not impaired on spatial tasks that may require executive processing, such as the WISC block design. The proposed study will attempt to resolve these inconsistencies and add to knowledge about spatial cognition in autism by testing low-functioning children with autism as compared to Down syndrome and normally developing mental age matched control groups using measures of spatial working memory, global/local processing, and a spatial task previously not examined in this population. Broadening knowledge about spatial cognition in this disorder will allow for a better understanding of development in this disorder and any potential strengths that may exist.