Repetitive Behaviours and Cognitive Flexibility in Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders
Date
2012-10-03
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Abstract
This study examined the executive dysfunction hypothesis in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This hypothesis involves a deficit in executive functioning, and specifically suggests that the repetitive behaviours in ASDs may stem from impairment in cognitive flexibility. Participants included 21 children aged 8-12 with high-functioning ASDs. Participants demonstrated impairment in a task of perseverative responding, a type of cognitive flexibility. However, in contrast to previous studies, this sample did not show significant levels of stuck-in-set perseveration in comparison to previously normed populations. Moreover, and in contrast to adults with ASDs, no correlations were found between degree of higher-order repetitive behaviours and cognitive flexibility, and lower-order motor repetitive behaviours and simple perseverative tasks. These results have implications for the developmental understanding of executive functioning and future investigations of the relationship between executive functions and behavioural symptoms of ASD.
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Educational Psychology
Citation
Jitlina, E. (2012). Repetitive Behaviours and Cognitive Flexibility in Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/27630