'Autistic' local processing bias also found in children gifted in realistic drawing

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

• Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit a local processing bias, focusing on details rather than the whole.
• Repetitive behaviors are a core diagnostic feature of ASD.
• The relationship between artistic talent and cognitive styles seen in ASD is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if typically-developing children with exceptional realistic drawing skills show a local processing bias.
• To determine if artistic talent in children is associated with traits similar to those observed in individuals with ASD.
• To explore the link between drawing realism, local processing, and repetitive behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-seven typically-developing children (ages 6-12) created observational drawings, which were scored for realism.
• Participants completed three tasks assessing local processing abilities.
• Parents administered the Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test (CAST) to assess for autistic traits and repetitive behaviors.

Main Results:

• Drawing realism scores significantly predicted performance on all local processing tasks, independent of verbal IQ, age, and art education.
• Higher drawing realism scores correlated with more frequent repetitive behaviors as measured by the CAST.
• These findings indicate a specific association between artistic skill and local processing bias.

Conclusions:

• Exceptional skill in realistic drawing in typically-developing children is linked to a local processing bias.
• Artistic talent in children may co-occur with a tendency towards repetitive behaviors, similar to traits seen in ASD.
• These findings suggest that certain cognitive and behavioral characteristics associated with ASD can be present in neurotypical individuals with specific talents.