Individuals with autism spectrum disorder are differentially sensitive to interference from previous verbal feedback

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by challenges in behavioral flexibility, including difficulties with shifting attention and adapting to new situations.
• Impaired set-shifting ability in ASD can negatively impact daily functioning and learning.
• Previous research suggests nonverbal feedback may enhance cognitive task performance in individuals with ASD compared to verbal feedback.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of feedback type (verbal vs. nonverbal) on set-shifting performance in children with ASD.
• To compare the learning and rule-shifting abilities of children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children.
• To explore factors influencing behavioral flexibility in autism spectrum disorder.

Main Methods:

• A card sorting task was administered to 28 children with ASD and 28 TD children, matched for cognitive and verbal abilities.
• Participants learned an initial sorting rule based on color, shape, or number.
• Participants then had to relearn the sorting rule, with different groups receiving either verbal or nonverbal feedback.

Main Results:

• Children with ASD acquired the initial sorting rule as quickly as TD children, with no significant difference based on feedback type.
• During the rule-shifting phase, children with ASD demonstrated slower learning rates compared to TD children.
• The negative impact of rule-shifting was more pronounced when verbal feedback was provided, whereas nonverbal feedback showed better outcomes for the ASD group.

Conclusions:

• While initial learning is comparable, children with ASD exhibit deficits in set-shifting that are exacerbated by verbal feedback.
• Nonverbal feedback appears to be a more effective strategy for supporting rule-shifting in children with autism spectrum disorder.
• Findings have significant implications for educational strategies and understanding cognitive flexibility in ASD.