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Residual Difficulties with Categorical Induction in Children with a History of Autism

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Abstract

In two experiments, typically developing (TD) children, high-functioning children with autism (HFA) and children with a history of autism who have achieved optimal outcomes (OOs), matched on age (M = 13 years) and nonverbal IQ, were asked to extend properties of categories to new items (categorical induction). All groups demonstrated some knowledge of category structure by extending at above-chance levels; however, the TD group extended more consistently than the OO and HFA groups. More consistent extenders had higher lexical and nonverbal IQ scores (Experiment 1) or higher pragmatics scores (Experiment 2). Thus, even very high functioning individuals with autism, or with an OO, still exhibit residual difficulties with category knowledge and extension; moreover, category tasks relate to a variety of verbal and nonverbal abilities. The difficulty these groups had with categorical induction may be related to their difficulty with generalization more widely; future research should investigate this possibility.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by R01 MH076189 from NIMH to D.F. and by R01 2DC007428 to L.R.N. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Molly Helt, Alyssa Orinstein, Michael Rosenthal, and Katherine Tyson, and a number of UConn undergraduates, in conducting Experiment 1, as well as the children and families who participated. Preliminary results from these experiments were presented at the International Meetings for Autism Research in 2006 and 2009.

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  1. Elizabeth Kelley

    Present address: Queen’s University, Humphrey Hall, Room 351, 62 Arch St., Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road U-1020, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA

    Letitia R. Naigles, Elizabeth Kelley, Eva Troyb & Deborah Fein

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  1. Letitia R. Naigles
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  2. Elizabeth Kelley
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  4. Deborah Fein
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Correspondence to Letitia R. Naigles.

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Naigles, L.R., Kelley, E., Troyb, E. et al. Residual Difficulties with Categorical Induction in Children with a History of Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 2048–2061 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1754-y

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