How Autism Impacts Children's Working Memory for Faces

Abstract

This study investigates how visual working memory (WM) functions in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to typically developing (TD) children aged 7 to 12, focusing on their ability to remember faces. The primary goal was to understand the differences in visual WM performance between these two groups and identify the sources of memory recall errors. Findings indicate that children with ASD demonstrated significantly poorer visual WM compared to their TD counterparts, particularly in the precision of memory recall. Despite this difference, both groups exhibited similar rates of random guessing, suggesting that the challenges faced by children with ASD are more about accuracy than guessing strategy. This research sheds light on the specific deficits in visual WM associated with ASD, enhancing our understanding of the cognitive mechanisms at play and highlighting potential areas for targeted interventions to support these children.