Condon's multiple-response phenomenon in severely dysfunctional children: an attempt at replication

Abstract

The present study was conducted in an attempt to replicate the findings of William Condon on multiple entrainment and dyssynchronous behavioral organization in autistic children. Three autistic and two normal children were filmed while being presented with five discrete auditory stimuli. Microkinesic analyses of the children's motor responses were performed in relation to three hypotheses designed to support the double-response and dyssynchrony effects. No firm evidence of multiple-responding to single sound was found for the autistic or normal children. There was some indication of dyssynchronous, or awkward, response organization for the autistic children, in comparison to the smooth-flowing body movements of the normal children.