title: Brief Report: Testing the Impairment of Initiation Processes Hypothesis in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
abstract: In the present study we aim at providing further evidences for the validity of an initiation processes impairment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We applied different verbal fluency tasks designed to decrease or enhance this limitation. A group of high-functioning individuals with ASD and a group of typically developed individuals matched for -age, -IQ and -education, were tested in three verbal fluency tasks. In task 1, we replicated previous findings of an initiation impairment. In tasks 2 and 3, with simple manipulations, we observed that the differences between the groups were respectively eliminated or enhanced. We have not only provided further evidence of impairments in the initiation of a response, but we remarkably show how to circumvent them.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, Alameda da Cidade Universitária, 1649-013, Lisbon, Portugal. carmo@fp.ul.pt.
authors.forename: Joana C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Carmo
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, Alameda da Cidade Universitária, 1649-013, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, Alameda da Cidade Universitária, 1649-013, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Centro de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Infantil, Edifício CADIn, Estrada da Malveira, 2750-782, Cascais, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pinho
authors.affiliation: Nova Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campo Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carlos N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Filipe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D013070:Speech Therapy; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Executive system; Response initiation; Verbal fluency