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Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
Autistic Traits and Enhanced Perceptual Representation of Pitch and Time
Mary E Stewart1, Timothy D Griffiths2, Manon Grube2
1Psychology, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, Scotland, UK. m.e.stewart@hw.ac.uk.
Abstract:
Enhanced basic perceptual discrimination has been reported for pitch in individuals with autism spectrum conditions. We test whether there is a correlational pattern of enhancement across the broader autism phenotype and whether this correlation occurs for the discrimination of pitch, time and loudness. Scores on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient correlated significantly with the pitch discrimination (r = -0.51, p < 0.05) and the time-interval discrimination (r = -0.45, p < 0.05) task that were based on a fixed reference. No correlation was found for intensity discrimination based on a fixed reference, nor for a variable reference based time-interval discrimination. The correlations suggest a relationship between autistic traits and the ability to form an enhanced, stable and highly accurate representation of auditory events in the pitch and time dimensions.
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