( Pittsburgh: Researchers at Children's H...)Autistic Children May Lag behind in ‘Categorization of Objects,Health

Pittsburgh: Researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University conducted a path breaking study on autistic children //indicating that such children portray a lag in their ability to differentiate between living and non living things and segregating objects according to their category. The paper which can be found in the Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities is perhaps an answer to one of the intriguing traits of autism: the incapacity to comprehend the driving force which motivates goal formation in other normal children.

Previous research has shown that young children with autism have the same abilities as normally developing children to categorize objects based on so-called surface characteristics, such as size and shape. They have a diminished ability, however, to group objects into more abstract categories (e.g., birds, trees, cars and furniture). A key characteristic that differentiates living and nonliving things is the ability of the former to move on their own, and as humans, we rely on the motions of others -- a hand reaching out to shake ours, a person running toward us -- to help us interpret their actions and intentions.

"People have not really studied these conceptual deficits in very young children as the possible basis for the social and cognitive deficits in older children and adults with autism," said Carnegie Mellon psychologist David Rakison, who co-authored the paper with Cynthia Johnson, director of the Autism Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and assistant professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

"This study opens the door for further research of preschool-age children, which could aid us in the development of possible diagnostic tools and therapies," Johnson said. "Children with autism have the best outcomes when they are diagnosed and begin treatment at an early age."

In this study, 11 children with aut
'"/>




Page: 1 2
Related medicine news :

1. Study Proves That MMR Vaccine Is Not Connected To Autistic Babies
2. Autistic traits evident in relatives
3. Novel Device Developed To Help Autistic Individuals Communicate Better
4. MMR Vaccine May Be A Reason Behind Autistic Children, Study Finds
5. Ontario Continues Support for Autistic Children
6. Fewer Neurons in Amygdala of Autistic Males
7. Caregiver Charged In Autistic Boys Death
8. Autistic Children Need Sense of Equality: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
9. Risperdal Cleared By FDA To Treat Autistic Children
10. FDA Gives the Nod to Risperdal For Use in Autistic Children
11. Cartoons Superimposed With Peoples Faces Help Autistic Children Learn Emotions