The Influence of Direct Action Possibilities on Movement in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

<p>The method by which individuals plan and execute movements is highly dependent on the environmental and task constraints. However, the way in which individuals view the world and objects differ amongst the population. This has profound implications for individuals who may have difficulties planning movement. There is growing evidence that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder have not only deficits in communication, but also in motor control (Glazebrook et al., 2009; Rinehart et al., 2006). Therefore, it is imperative to understand how and why these motor control differences arise in individuals with ASD and if there are ways in which these impairments could be alleviated. There is evidence demonstrating that brain connectivity in individuals with ASD may differ compared to controls (Frith, 1989). This may contribute difficulty when integrating highly cognitive information. Therefore, objects and scenarios that afford a high degree of action-perception coupling were explored to determine if (and how) individuals with ASD can use this more direct coupling to aid in the planning and execution of movement. Furthermore, we explored if these processes could be applied to interactions with other individuals. The findings of the study demonstrated that individuals with ASD did not appear to use the orientation of a handle (study one) to pre-plan responses to graspable objects (c.f. Tucker & Ellis, 1998). However, when the action component was further emphasized in the second study, the accuracy scores obtained were comparable to those of chronologically age and sex matched controls. This supports the notion that objects with high action-perception coupling can be used successfully by individuals with ASD to interact with other individuals. The findings of study three demonstrated that individuals with ASD used the intended actions of a confederate to solve a Theory of Mind task, and thereby anticipate the motor intentions of the confederate. Overall, the findings of the dissertation suggest that the use of objects and scenarios that afford a high degree of action-perception coupling seems beneficial for individuals with ASD as they are able to use these objects to anticipate the possible actions that another individual may perform.</p>