International Meeting for Autism Research: Innovations In Assessing Cognition In Nonverbal Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Innovations In Assessing Cognition In Nonverbal Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Thursday, May 12, 2011: 11:30 AM
Elizabeth Ballroom A-C (Manchester Grand Hyatt)
10:30 AM
J. Connolly1, J. A. Reitzel2, P. Szatmari3 and A. Harrison1, (1)McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, (2)1200 Main St. W., P.O. Box 2000, McMaster Children's Hospital/McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, (3)Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Up to 25% of children with autism are labeled nonverbal with the implication that they can neither produce nor comprehend language and may have a restricted and limited cognitive life. In many situations these judgments are based on psychological assessments and behavioral observations only. This proof of principle study draws from experience successfully using event-related brain potentials (ERP) to assess cognitive and language abilities of patients with acquired brain injuries. We describe a study that seeks to determine if speech comprehension can be demonstrated in any of the individuals who have received a nonverbal autism diagnosis and, if such a capacity is demonstrated, to further explore the range of cognitive functions that may exist.
| More