Short-term memory is an example of an executive function and research shows that inner speech is crucial for short-term memory. Individuals with ASD, tend to perform less well (compared to typically-developing children) on executive functioning tasks. In this research study, Prof. David Williams examines whether children with ASD use visual or verbal thinking styles to store information in their short-term memory. The findings have important implications for research as well as educators.
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About
Executive functions describe certain cognitive processes that are required for managing our own behaviour and achieving goals. An example of an executive function is short-term memory. An important strategy for passing tasks of executive function is inner speech. Inner speech refers to the process of rehearsing verbal information in our head, so that we remember it. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to perform less well on tasks of executive functioning and some researchers suggest this can explained by their lack of inner speech. In addition, individuals with ASD often report having visual rather than verbal thinking styles, which means they represent information in images rather than in words when they think about the information.
To investigate these suggestions, the current study presents a task that explored if children with ASD use visual or verbal thinking styles to keep information in their short-term memory.
Research Objectives
• To explore the extent to which children with ASD use inner speech to support recall from short-term memory.
• To explore the extent to which children with ASD use visual thinking styles to recall from short-term memory.
Programme and Methodology
Participants:
25 children with ASD and 20 typically-developing children
• Memory task in which children had to remember pictures
• Pictures that needed to be recalled were either verbally similar (bat, cat, hat), visually similar (spoon, pen, spade) or were control items (drum, shoe, bird).
Findings
• Children with ASD do not differ from the typically-developing children in their ability to use inner speech for a memory task.
• Inner speech use in children with ASD is intact, and shows a similar development compared to typically developing children of the same mental age.
• Children with ASD start to represent information visually when their mental age equates to approximately 7 years old.
Impact
• This project offered new and important insight on the use of inner speech in children with ASD.
• Findings showed that children with ASD do use verbal thinking styles in a memory task, and therefore that their inner speech is intact.
• The findings give practical suggestions to educators:
• Individuals with ASD with a mental age over 7 years old use inner speech in memory tasks. Knowledge on the thinking styles children use can help educators create an optimal learning environment and can help them make use of the children’s strengths.