Memory enhancements from active control of learning in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Letting kids with ASD control the order and pace of study on a tablet boosts their memory recall a week later.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Fantasia et al. (2020) asked kids with autism to learn pictures on a tablet.
Some kids tapped the screen to pick the order and speed. Others just watched the same pictures.
The team tested who remembered more right away and one week later.
What they found
Kids who controlled the game remembered more pictures after a week.
Passive watchers forgot faster.
Simple choice and pace control gave a lasting memory boost.
How this fits with other research
Wuyun et al. (2020) saw the same lift when kids handled objects themselves. Both studies show action helps memory.
Wang et al. (2022) adds a warning: only kids with mid or high IQ gain from movement. Low-IQ kids need a different plan.
Yamamoto et al. (2018) looks like a clash: adults with ASD still scored lower even after active practice. Age is the key gap. Kids gain more because their brain networks are still flexible.
Why it matters
Hand the tablet to the learner. Let them tap, swipe, and set the pace during vocabulary or social-skills drills. This free tweak can lock facts in for a week without extra staff time. Pair it with light prompts from Latham et al. (2014) if the child needs a gentle hand-guide. Check IQ level first; follow Lijuan’s cue and add more support for lower-IQ students.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Research with adults and typically developing children has shown that being able to actively control their learning experience, that is, to decide what to learn, when, and at what pace, can boost learning in a variety of contexts. In particular, previous research has shown a robust advantage of active control for episodic memory as compared with conditions lacking this control. In this article, we explore the potential of active control to improve learning of 6- to 12-year-old children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. We presented them with a simple memory game on a touchscreen tablet, in which children were asked to recall as many of the presented objects as possible. For half of the objects, children could decide the order and pacing of study (active condition); for the other half, they passively observed the study decisions of a previous participant (yoked condition). We found that recognition memory was more accurate when children could actively control the order, pace, and frequency of the study experience, even after a week-long delay. We discuss how teachers and educators might promote active learning approaches in educational and pedagogical applications to support inclusive learning.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2020 · doi:10.1177/1362361320931244