Autobiographical memory and suggestibility in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Two paradigms were developed to examine autobiographical memory (ABM) and suggestibility in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD (N = 30) and typically developing chronological age-matched children (N = 38) ranging in age from 5 to 10 years were administered an ABM questionnaire. Children were asked about details of current and past personally experienced events. Children also participated in a staged event, and later were provided with true and false reminders about that event. Later, children again were interviewed about the staged event. The results from both paradigms revealed that children with ASD showed poorer ABM compared to controls. Generally, their ABM was marked by errors of omission rather than by errors of commission, and memory was particularly poor for early-life events. In addition, they were as suggestible as the typically developing children. The results are discussed in terms of applied and theoretical implications.
Bruck
Maggie
M
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, CMSC 346, 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287-3325, USA. bruck@welch.jhu.edu
London
Kamala
K
Landa
Rebecca
R
Goodman
June
J
D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D001325:Autobiographies as Topic; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D011939:Mental Recall; D012649:Self Concept; D013404:Suggestion; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires