Implicit and explicit motor learning: Application to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Izadi-Najafabadi et al. (2015) watched two groups of late-elementary kids play a computer game. One group had autism, the other group did not.

The game used a serial-reaction-time task. Kids pressed buttons as fast as they could when lights popped up. Some patterns repeated, so kids could learn without knowing it. Later, the team asked the kids to explain the pattern. This tested explicit learning.

Kids with autism got faster on the hidden pattern, just like typical kids. Their hands learned even when their minds did not notice the rule.

When the team asked them to state the pattern, the typical kids could talk about it. The autistic kids could not. Their explicit learning was missing.

Sharp et al. (2010) saw the same intact hidden learning in older, high-functioning teens and adults with autism. Sara’s team shows the skill is already there in younger kids.

Sparaci et al. (2015) also found equal learning on a different motor game, but they saw odd movement paths. Together, the papers say: hands can learn, yet the route looks different.

Gowen et al. (2013) reviewed many studies and concluded motor learning itself is largely intact in autism. Sara’s split between hidden and conscious learning gives that claim a finer edge.

For your next session, teach motor skills with repetition, rhythm, and minimal talk about rules. Let the learner’s body do the noticing. Save the verbal explanations for another goal.