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Using the Visual World Paradigm to Study Sentence Comprehension in Mandarin-Speaking Children with Autism
Published on: October 3, 2018
Atypicalities in cortical structure, handedness, and functional lateralization for language in autism spectrum
Annukka K Lindell1, Kristelle Hudry
1School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia. a.lindell@latrobe.edu.au
Abstract:
Language is typically a highly lateralized function, with atypically reduced or reversed lateralization linked to language impairments. Given the diagnostic and prognostic role of impaired language for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), this paper reviews the growing body of literature that examines patterns of lateralization in individuals with ASDs. Including research from structural and functional imaging paradigms, and behavioral evidence from investigations of handedness, the review confirms that atypical lateralization is common in people with ASDs. The evidence indicates reduced structural asymmetry in fronto-temporal language regions, attenuated functional activation in response to language and pre-linguistic stimuli, and more ambiguous (mixed) hand preferences, in individuals with ASDs. Critically, the evidence emphasizes an intimate relationship between atypical lateralization and language impairment, with more atypical asymmetries linked to more substantive language impairment. Such evidence highlights opportunities for the identification of structural and functional biomarkers of ASDs, affording the potential for earlier diagnosis and intervention implementation.
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