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Why is language different in autism?: testing the social gating theory
Thesis   Open access

Why is language different in autism?: testing the social gating theory

Abigail Oldham
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Jun 2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00000741
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Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders Eye tracking Language and languages
The social gating theory presented by Kuhl (2007) predicts that domain general statistical learning skills and domain-specific social-emotional skills are critical to language development in typically developing children. Limited research has been done to test this theory in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) due to methodological difficulties. Utilizing eye-tracking tasks designed to measure statistical learning, social interest, and emotional processing, this barrier was overcome. 73 Children with ASD, mean age 23.6 months (SD = 4.7) were presented three eye-tracking tasks, as well as standardized tests of cognitive and adaptive functioning, respectively, that included subscales measuring language. The statistical learning task included four trials of a waterfall with an object falling, the social interest task included photos containing both social and non-social scenes, and the emotional processing task included three conditions depicting different facial expressions. Associations between each of the tasks presented, including statistical learning, social interest, and emotional processing, as well as measures of expressive language were found to be significant in young children with ASD. These findings align with predictions from the social gating theory, showing this theory might be relevant to young children with ASD.

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