Relations Between the McGurk Effect, Social and Communication Skill, and Autistic Features in Children with and without Autism.
Jacob I Feldman, Julie G Conrad, Wayne Kuang and 5 others
PMID 34101080WHAT IT FOUND
Children with autism who perceived the McGurk illusion more strongly had better expressive communication skills.
This link was not found in children without autism. The study did not show that training this perception improves speech.
Key findings
01Children with autism reported significantly fewer McGurk illusions than their typically developing peers.
02In children with autism, a higher rate of McGurk fusion was associated with better expressive communication skills, but this association was not significant in children without autism.
03Across both groups, a higher rate of McGurk fusion was associated with fewer autistic features.
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 small (36 children). The children with autism were relatively cognitively and linguistically able, as they had to complete a complex task for 20-30 minutes. Results may not apply to non-speaking or lower-functioning individuals. Communication and autistic features were measured by parent report, which can be subjective. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if poor audiovisual integration causes communication difficulties or vice versa.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that improving a child's McGurk effect will improve their speech. The study found a correlation, not a cause, and the group with autism had a narrower range of communication scores than the control group, which may have influenced the results.