Autistic children's brains often fail to process non-verbal cues, such as body language.
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A groundbreaking study led by John Foxe, Ph.D. from the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester has shed light on how the brains of children with autism process body movements, a crucial aspect of daily communication. The study, published in the journal Molecular Autism, was also co-authored by John Butler, Ph.D. from Einstein College of Medicine, Ed Freedman, Ph.D. from the University of Rochester Medical Center, and Aaron Krakowski and Sophie Molholm, Ph.D. from Einstein College of Medicine.
The research involved children aged 6 to 16 years old, who watched videos of moving dots that represented actions such as running, kicking, or jumping. The team used electroencephalogram (EEG) to record the brain waves of children with and without autism, observing key differences in brain processes between the two groups.
Emily Knight, M.D., Ph.D., the first author of the study, stated that less brain processing of body movements in children with autism might make understanding others more challenging. Being able to read and respond to someone's body language is essential in daily interactions, according to Knight.
The study found that when children with autism are distracted by something else, their brains process the movements of another person differently than their peers. For instance, the brainwaves of children with autism did not process when the dots moved like a person if they were focused on the dot color, according to the study.
John Foxe, Ph.D., the lead author, emphasized that this research provides more evidence of how the brain of someone with autism processes the world. He further added that this research is a vital step towards creating a more inclusive environment for people with autism.
The research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the University of Rochester Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Center (UR-IDDRC), and the Rose F. Kennedy Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (RFK-IDDRC). The researchers who found that children with autism spectrum disorder have difficulties processing body movements when distracted were not identified in the provided search results.
The study focuses on children with autism spectrum disorder and their ability to process body movements effectively. The findings of this study could potentially lead to new strategies for improving social interaction skills in children with autism, fostering a more inclusive and understanding society.
