Does language guide behavior in children with autism?

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Title Does language guide behavior in children with autism?
Publication Type dissertation
School or College College of Social & Behavioral Science
Department Psychology
Author Larson, Jennifer C. gidley
Date 2013
Description It is unknown if children with high-functioning autism (HFA) employ self-directed speech to guide motor sequencing and motor control, or if they can benefit from using self-directed speech when prompted to do so. Participants performed a three-movement sequence across three conditions: Natural Learning, Task-Congruent Verbalization (TCV), and Task-Incongruent Verbalization (TIV). TIV deleteriously impacted performance in the typically-developing group (TD; <italic>n</italic>= 22), and not the HFA group (<italic>n</italic>=21). TCV improved performance in both groups, but to a greater extent in the HFA group. These findings suggest that children with HFA do <italic>not</italic> initiate self-directed speech spontaneously, but can use language to guide behavior when prompted to do so.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject autism; motor control; motor sequence learning; self-directed speech
Dissertation Name Doctor of Philosophy
Language eng
Rights Management ©Jennifer C. gidley Larson
Format application/pdf
Format Medium application/pdf
ARK ark:/87278/s6zk9nnv
Setname ir_etd
ID 1353400
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6zk9nnv
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