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Cognitive flexibility training intervention among children with autism: a longitudinal study.

Cristina de Andrade Varanda¹, Fernanda Dreux Miranda Fernandes²

¹Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional, Universidade de São Paulo-USP-Faculdade de Medicina, Rua Cipotânea, 51, CEP 05360-000, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. crisvaranda@usp.br.

Psicologia, Reflexao E Critica : Revista Semestral Do Departamento De Psicologia Da UFRGS

|February 7, 2020

Summary

This study shows that an intervention program can improve cognitive flexibility in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Improvements were seen in key areas, suggesting potential benefits for social interaction and communication skills.

Keywords:

Autism spectrum disorders Cognition Intervention Play

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Psychology
Behavioral Science

Background:

Autism is characterized by social communication deficits and repetitive behaviors.
Individuals with autism often exhibit challenges in cognitive flexibility, impacting adaptation to changing task demands.
Poor flexible cognition is hypothesized to underlie some core autism-related difficulties.

Purpose of the Study:

To assess and intervene in cognitive flexibility in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
To evaluate the impact of a targeted intervention program on cognitive flexibility and related behaviors in ASD.
To explore potential improvements in social interaction, communication, and behavior patterns post-intervention.

Main Methods:

Ten subjects aged 5-13 years with diagnosed autism underwent pre- and post-testing.
Cognitive flexibility was assessed using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST).
Social interaction, behavior, and communication were evaluated using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R).
An intervention program of 14-21 sessions was implemented to enhance cognitive flexibility.

Main Results:

Significant improvements were observed in cognitive flexibility measures, including reduced perseverative errors and increased categories completed on the WCST.
Failure to maintain set on the WCST did not show significant improvement.
Post-intervention ADI-R scores indicated a reduction in overall autism symptom severity and improved communication abilities.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest that interventions targeting cognitive flexibility can yield positive outcomes for individuals with autism.
Improvements in cognitive flexibility may correlate with enhancements in social interaction, communication, and behavioral patterns.
Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to validate these findings in the broader autism spectrum population.