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Multisensory Speech Perception in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Abstract

This study examined unisensory and multisensory speech perception in 8–17 year old children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and typically developing controls matched on chronological age, sex, and IQ. Consonant–vowel syllables were presented in visual only, auditory only, matched audiovisual, and mismatched audiovisual (“McGurk”) conditions. Participants with ASD displayed deficits in visual only and matched audiovisual speech perception. Additionally, children with ASD reported a visual influence on heard speech in response to mismatched audiovisual syllables over a wider window of time relative to controls. Correlational analyses revealed associations between multisensory speech perception, communicative characteristics, and responses to sensory stimuli in ASD. Results suggest atypical speech perception is linked to broader behavioral characteristics of ASD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, 1211 Medical Center Drive, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA

    Tiffany G. Woynaroski

  2. Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA

    Leslie D. Kwakye

  3. Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Jennifer H. Foss-Feig

  4. Department of Psychology and UW Autism Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Wendy L. Stone

  5. Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Psychology and Psychiatry, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Ryan A. Stevenson & Mark T. Wallace

Authors
  1. Tiffany G. Woynaroski
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  2. Leslie D. Kwakye
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  3. Jennifer H. Foss-Feig
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  4. Ryan A. Stevenson
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  5. Wendy L. Stone
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  6. Mark T. Wallace
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Correspondence to Tiffany G. Woynaroski.

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Woynaroski, T.G., Kwakye, L.D., Foss-Feig, J.H. et al. Multisensory Speech Perception in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 2891–2902 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1836-5

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