Monochannel Preference in Autism Spectrum Conditions Revealed by a Non-Visual Variant of Rubber Hand Illusion.

The study used a between-subjects design, meaning different children performed the visuo-tactile and tacto-tactile tasks, which may introduce group differences unrelated to the illusion itself. Subjective ownership ratings in the autism group never reached positive agreement, raising questions about whether the questionnaire items were interpreted literally or if the subjective experience was genuinely absent despite proprioceptive changes. The sample was restricted to high-functioning individuals with normal or above-average IQ, so results may not generalize to those with lower cognitive abilities.

The study was funded by Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione Giovanni Goria, and Università degli Studi di Torino. No specific conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.

Do not assume that the lack of subjective ownership ratings in the autism group means the illusion failed entirely. The proprioceptive drift was significant in the touch-only condition, indicating that bodily perception changed even if the conscious feeling of ownership did not.