Further evidence of intact working memory in autism.
Working memory scores are normal in high-functioning autism, so check each client instead of presuming a deficit.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team compared working memory in three adult groups: high-functioning autism, Tourette syndrome, and neurotypical controls.
Everyone completed the same memory-span tasks. No extra teaching or treatment was given.
What they found
All three groups scored the same. Working memory was intact in autism.
The result matched the Tourette and typical groups point for point.
How this fits with other research
Matson et al. (2009) ran a direct replication and again found no autism deficit, this time in speed of processing.
Lifshitz et al. (2014) extends the story: memory storage is fine, but many autistic children skip inner speech when they shift tasks.
Eussen et al. (2016) looks like a contradiction: adding a memory load hurt autistic drivers more than controls. The clash fades when you see the 2001 adults were older and task-free, while the 2016 drivers were novices juggling two jobs at once.
Why it matters
Do not assume poor working memory in high-functioning clients. Test first, then plan. If you pile on extra steps, watch for overload—especially in real-life tasks like driving or cooking.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Earlier investigations have found mixed evidence of working memory impairment in autism. The present study examined working memory in a high-functioning autistic sample, relative to both a clinical control group diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome and a typically developing control group. No group differences were found across three tasks and five dependent measures of working memory. Performance was significantly correlated with both age and IQ. It is concluded that working memory is not one of the executive functions that is seriously impaired in autism. We also suggest that the format of administration of working memory tasks may be important in determining whether or not performance falls in the impaired range.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2001 · doi:10.1023/a:1010794902139