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Collaborative Problem Solving in Young Typical Development and HFASD

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Abstract

Collaborative problem solving (CPS) requires sharing goals/attention and coordinating actions—all deficient in HFASD. Group differences were examined in CPS (HFASD/typical), with a friend versus with a non-friend. Participants included 28 HFASD and 30 typical children aged 3–6 years and their 58 friends and 58 non-friends. Groups were matched on CA, MA, IQ, and maternal education. The CPS task was placing pairs of blocks to balance scales. HFASD preschoolers solved the problem slower, showed more irrelevant behaviors, shared less, and used fewer coordinative gestures than TYP. But they were more responsive and had more fun with friends versus non-friends. In addition, they solved the problem more efficiently during their second attempt. Implications are discussed, regarding the social deficit of HFASD.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partially supported by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF). Special thanks are extended to the children who took part in this study. The authors would also like to express their appreciation to Dee B. Ankonina for her editorial contribution and to Dov Har—even for his statistical assistance. This study was adapted from a dissertation of the first author guided by the second author.

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  1. School of Education, Bar Ilan University, 52900, Ramat-Gan, Israel

    Yael Kimhi & Nirit Bauminger-Zviely

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  1. Yael Kimhi
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  2. Nirit Bauminger-Zviely
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Correspondence to Nirit Bauminger-Zviely.

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Kimhi, Y., Bauminger-Zviely, N. Collaborative Problem Solving in Young Typical Development and HFASD. J Autism Dev Disord 42, 1984–1997 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1447-6

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