Audition-specific temporal processing deficits associated with language function in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Jennifer H Foss-Feig, Kimberly B Schauder, Alexandra P Key and 2 others
PMID 28632303WHAT IT FOUND
Children with autism needed longer silent gaps to hear them than typically developing peers, but saw visual gaps just as well.
This auditory deficit correlated with weaker phonological memory and receptive language, suggesting rapid sound processing issues may underpin communication difficulties.
Key findings
01Children with ASD had significantly higher auditory gap detection thresholds than children with TD, requiring longer gaps to detect them.
02Visual gap detection thresholds did not differ significantly between the ASD and TD groups.
03In children with ASD, better auditory temporal resolution (lower gap detection thresholds) was associated with better receptive language abilities, a relationship not seen in typically developing children.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample size was modest, particularly for the language analyses (16 ASD, 16 TD). All participants were high-functioning with intact cognitive skills (IQ > 70), so results may not generalize to children with ASD who have intellectual disabilities or more severe language impairments. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that auditory processing deficits cause language difficulties. Several key findings regarding receptive language were trend-level or had medium effect sizes rather than strict statistical significance.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this auditory temporal processing deficit is present in all children with ASD or that it explains all language difficulties. The study only included high-functioning children, and the link to receptive language was specific to the ASD group and based on a small subset of participants.