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. 2022 Oct:129:104305.
doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104305. Epub 2022 Jul 19.

What affects gestural learning in children with and without Autism? The role of prior knowledge and imitation

Ying Huang  1 , Miranda Kit-Yi Wong  2 , Wan-Yi Lam  2 , Chun-Ho Cheng  2 , Wing-Chee So  2
Affiliations

What affects gestural learning in children with and without Autism? The role of prior knowledge and imitation

Ying Huang et al. Res Dev Disabil. 2022 Oct.

Abstract

The present study examined whether prior knowledge to the learning target and imitation during learning affected learning outcomes in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, N = 22) compared to their typically developing (TD, N = 15) peers. Children's gestural skills in recognizing and producing the target gestures before and after the training, as well as their imitative behavior during the training were coded. Results showed that consistent prior knowledge benefited gestural learning in both groups. Besides, only children with ASD were hindered by inconsistent prior knowledge. Notably, the effect of imitation was not significant in the ASD group. In conclusion, the learning process in children with ASD may differ from those with typical development, suggesting special-designed interventions are required.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Emblem; Iconic gesture; Imitation; Learning mechanism; Prior knowledge.

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