Intersecting kinematic encoding and readout of intention in autism

Significance A major challenge in studying intention reading is high motor variability. Analyses conducted across trials provide insights into what happens on average; however, they may obscure how individual observers read intention information in individual movements. We combined motion tracking, psychophysics, and computational analyses to examine intention reading in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) with single-trial resolution. Results revealed that a sizeable fraction of ASD observers can identify intention-informative variations in ASD (but not in typically developing) movement kinematics, but they are nonetheless unable to extract the encoded intention information. This approach not only enhances our basic understanding of mind reading in ASD but also provides potential avenues for the rational design of training procedures to improve the reading of others’ actions.</jats:p