Exploring Links Between Lexical Representations and Cognitive Skills in School-Aged Children with High-Functioning...

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Linguistics

Background:

• Investigating cognitive impacts on lexical representations in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD).
• Understanding differences in language processing between children with and without HF-ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how cognitive variables (IQ, memory, ADHD symptoms) affect lexical representations in children with HF-ASD.
• To compare lexical representations and cognitive-linguistic interrelations in children with and without HF-ASD.

Main Methods:

• Two matched groups (n=20 each) of Greek-speaking children aged 7-12 years, with and without HF-ASD.
• Assessment of cognitive variables including performance IQ, verbal short-term memory, working memory, and ADHD symptomatology.
• Analysis of lexical representations and their correlation with cognitive skills.

Main Results:

• Children with HF-ASD exhibited more immature lexical representations than controls, despite similar naming abilities.
• Verbal short-term memory correlated with naming, while age significantly predicted semantic knowledge in both groups.
• A unique relationship between motor programming and phonological knowledge was found in the HF-ASD group, supporting psycholinguistic models.

Conclusions:

• Children with HF-ASD may process and map new vocabulary distinctively compared to typically developing children.
• Cognitive and lexical variables show different interrelation patterns in children with HF-ASD versus controls.