Reduced object related negativity response indicates impaired auditory scene analysis in adults with autistic spectrum disorder

Auditory Scene Analysis provides a useful framework for understanding atypical auditory perception in autism. Specifically, a failure to segregate the incoming acoustic energy into distinct auditory objects might explain the aversive reaction autistic individuals have to certain auditory stimuli or environments. Previous research with non-autistic participants has demonstrated the presence of an Object Related Negativity (ORN) in the auditory event related potential that indexes pre-attentive processes associated with auditory scene analysis. Also evident is a later P400 component that is attention dependent and thought to be related to decision-making about auditory objects. We sought to determine whether there are differences between individuals with and without autism in the levels of processing indexed by these components. Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to measure brain responses from a group of 16 autistic adults, and 16 age- and verbal-IQ-matched typically-developing adults. Auditory responses were elicited using lateralized dichotic pitch stimuli in which inter-aural timing differences create the illusory perception of a pitch that is spatially separated from a carrier noise stimulus. As in previous studies, control participants produced an ORN in response to the pitch stimuli. However, this component was significantly reduced in the participants with autism. In contrast, processing differences were not observed between the groups at the attention-dependent level (P400). These findings suggest that autistic individuals have difficulty segregating auditory stimuli into distinct auditory objects, and that this difficulty arises at an early pre-attentive level of processing

An extended multisensory temporal binding window in autism spectrum disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) form a continuum of neurodevelopmental disorders, characterized by deficits in communication and reciprocal social interaction, as well as by repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. Sensory disturbances are also frequently reported in clinical and autobiographical accounts. However, surprisingly few empirical studies have characterized the fundamental features of sensory and multisensory processing in ASD. The current study is structured to test for potential differences in multisensory temporal function in ASD by making use of a temporally dependent, low-level multisensory illusion. In this illusion, the presentation of a single flash of light accompanied by multiple sounds often results in the illusory perception of multiple flashes. By systematically varying the temporal structure of the audiovisual stimuli, a “temporal window” within which these stimuli are likely to be bound into a single perceptual entity can be defined. The results of this study revealed that children with ASD report the flash-beep illusion over an extended range of stimulus onset asynchronies relative to children with typical development, suggesting that children with ASD have altered multisensory temporal function. These findings provide valuable new insights into our understanding of sensory processing in ASD and may hold promise for the development of more sensitive diagnostic measures and improved remediation strategies

Early intervention: critical roles of early childhood service providers

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Child development and education of young children

The purpose of this Chapter, and indeed of this book, is to provide an overview of the essentials of child development for teachers of young children. A strong understanding of child development knowledge often forms the core of early childhood teachers' professional practice. We usually think of early childhood education as teaching children from birth to 8 years of age, although such knowledge should empower teachers thoroughout prmiary school as well. It is the teaaching staff at the Institute of Early Childhood at Macquarie University, Sydney who have contributed to this volume; and despite all our differences, we share a common passion for the welfare of children and their families, and state of the art practice in teaching. I will speak for all the Chapter authors of this book: if you sense a bias towards being child- and family centred, and having play and relationships at the forefront of our teaching practice with young children and their families, we are ready to agree with you! And we joyously invite you, the teacher, the tutor, or the teacher-in-the making to join our chorus. In this Chapter, we present you with what is ahead of you in this book, and we ouline our reasons for our choices

Neuroscience and early childhood: a necessary partnership

6 page(s