SOURCE Memory and SOCIAL Impairments IN Children with High Functioning ASD

Background:  Social difficulties are considered the core deficit of ASD. While there is growing research in many areas related to the social and emotional competences of children with high functioning ASD (HF-ASD), there is relatively few understanding of the cognitive factors contributing to the social functioning impairments. Evidences from empirical studies and theoretical models have put to light the contribution of episodic memory to social functioning in HF-ASD. However, it has been suggested that the episodic memory impairments in HF-ASD may be caused by deficits in source memory. Moreover, we have shown in a previous study that source memory deficits in HF-ASD are not generalized and may be more important when the to-be remembered source involves social aspects. Still, to date, no study has explored if source memory contributes to social functioning in this population.

Objectives:  The aim of the current study is to examine relations between source memory and social functioning in children and adolescent with HF-ASD.

Methods:  A group of 15 HF-ASD boys aged from 8 to 18 years old participated in this study. Memory was assessed using a theory driven experimental task designed to measure item memory, binding processes and source memory for self-other and temporal context (Doré et al., 2007). Social skills were measured with the Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scale (SSIS; Gresham & Elliott, 2008) which allows the evaluation of various subdomains of social skills (i.e. Communication, Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, Engagement and Self-Control).

Results: Correlation analyses revealed a significant relation between source memory and social functioning in HF-ASD. Furthermore, social skills appear related specifically to self-other source memory as no relations were found with temporal context. Results also indicated that self-other source memory is significantly associated only with social skills measured by the Cooperation, Responsibility and Empathy subdomains. No relation was found between social skills and binding processes or item memory.

Conclusions:  This study brings preliminary evidences of a relationship between source memory and social skills in children with HF-ASD. Findings go further in specifying that the association seems limited to self-other source memory and also that particular subdomains of social skills are more significantly related. A number of explanations for these specific relations in HF-ASD are considered. Amongst others neurological dysfunctions, atypical processing of social information and self-awareness deficits are addressed.  The implications of these findings for clinical interventions are also discussed.