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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
09:13
Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
Gestalt processing in autism: failure to process perceptual relationships and the implications for contextual
Mark J Brosnan1, Fiona J Scott, Simone Fox
1Department of Psychology, University of Bath, UK. M.J.Brosnan@Bath.ac.uk
Summary
Children with autism show deficits in gestalt grouping, processing local information over global patterns. This study found they utilized grouping principles less than controls, performing at chance level.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Autism is characterized by a local processing bias.
- This study investigates potential deficits in gestalt grouping within autism spectrum disorder.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine gestalt grouping abilities in children with autism.
- To determine if autism is associated with reduced use of grouping principles like proximity, similarity, and closure.
Main Methods:
- 25 low-functioning children with autism and 25 age- and verbal mental age-matched controls participated.
- Participants completed tasks assessing the use of gestalt grouping principles and identification of impossible figures.
Main Results:
- The autism group demonstrated significantly less utilization of gestalt grouping principles compared to controls.
- Children with autism performed at chance level for overall gestalt grouping and showed deficits in identifying certain impossible figures.
Conclusions:
- Autism may involve a failure to process inter-element relationships necessary for perceiving larger, coherent perceptual units.
- These preattentive processes are crucial for understanding context and global patterns.
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