In this article, we review a recent paper by Stevenson et al. (J Neurosci 34: 691-697, 2014). This paper illustrates the need to present different forms of stimuli in order to characterize the perceptual abilities of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Furthermore, we will discuss their behavioral results and offer an opposing viewpoint to the suggested neuronal drivers of ASD.

Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) participate in social skills or Theory of Mind (ToM) treatments. However, few studies have shown evidence for their effectiveness. The current study used a randomized controlled design to test the effectiveness of a 16-week ToM treatment in 8-13 year old children with ASD and normal IQs (n = 40). The results showed that, compared to controls, t...

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders often exhibit difficulties with reciprocal social conversation, engaging in limited verbal exchanges, even when language structures are intact. This study employed a multiple baseline design to examine the effectiveness of a self-management intervention targeting (1) on-topic responsiveness to a conversational partner; (2) expansion of the conversation...

It is common to administer measures of autistic traits to those without autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) with, for example, the aim of understanding autistic personality characteristics in non-autistic individuals. Little research has examined the extent to which measures of autistic traits actually measure the same traits in the same way across those with and without an ASD. We addressed this ...

This study examined whether the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS: Social skills for teenagers with developmental and autism spectrum disorders: The PEERS treatment manual, Routledge, New York, 2010a) affected neural function, via EEG asymmetry, in a randomized controlled trial of adolescents with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and a group of typically develo...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of an applied behaviour analysis (ABA)-based intervention conducted by a robot compared to an ABA-based intervention conducted by a human trainer in promoting self-initiated questions in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS Data were collected in a combined crossover multiple baseline design acros...

The theory of mind is certainly necessary. The dire consequences of a missing theory of mind in autism spectrum disorders are a clear proof for it. So, it might be interesting to examine how it is necessary and useful by looking at some specific (and possible) functions in the mind of a child as well as of an adult, beyond the more general comprehension of one’s own and others’ mental state. Fi...

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are common in the general childhood population, and are both serious and lifelong. Tremendous strides have beenmade in the treatment of these ASD in recent years, particularly with respect to psychological interventions. Given the considerable amount of time and cost involved in providing these interventions, parent training and involvement is a particularly appe...