Relation

Executive functions and prosodic abilities in children with high-functioning autism

The misunderstanding of HFA students can be understood through a study that utilized prosody tasks, in which they had to vocalize and identify speech with different emotions, the production and comprehension of various types of prosody, including grammar and focus, were observed. The executive function task was a Children’s Color Trail Test in which the first test focused on visual search and processing speed, and the second centered on divided attention, working memory, and set-switching (Filipe et al., 2018). Overall, children with HFA were found to have significantly lower scores in prosody skills, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility, but not in working memory, which is specifically associated with difficulty in adapting and transitioning, impulsivity, and an inability to pay attention in class (Filipe et al., 2018). The bidirectional relationship observed between prosodic ability and executive function also highlights a more holistic view on the complexity of social communication in autism (Filipe et al., 2018). This, combined with unusual speech patterns, poor emotional expression, and offset structural language, can be misattributed to low academic drive and disinterest by teachers despite their cognitive intellect. Therefore, recognizing the diverse traits of students with HFA, particularly their social communication challenges without compromising their academic ability, is an important step towards improving support strategies for students with HFA.

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Updated 2025-08-10

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