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  • Function bias in ASD (JADD)

    Rights statement: The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2657-5

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    Available under license: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

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Are children with Autism Spectrum Disorder initially attuned to object function rather than shape for word learning?

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>04/2016
<mark>Journal</mark>Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Issue number4
Volume46
Number of pages10
Pages (from-to)1210-1219
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date14/12/15
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

We investigate the function bias—generalising words to objects with the same function—in typically developing (TD) children, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and children with other developmental disorders. Across four trials, a novel object was named and its function was described and demonstrated. Children then selected the other referent from a shape match (same shape, different function) and function match (same function, different shape) object. TD children and children with ASD were ‘function biased’, although further investigation established that having a higher VMA facilitated function bias understanding in TD children, but having a lower VMA facilitated function bias understanding in children with ASD. This suggests that children with ASD are initially attuned to object function, not shape.

Bibliographic note

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2657-5