Semantic Processing in Children with ASD: Differences in underlying Neural Processing in Children with High Language vs. Low Language Capabilities

The primary objective was to investigate semantic neural processing in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as impairments in this domain have been shown in this patient population. Typically developing (TD) children and children with ASD with varying language ability did an auditory semantic categorization task. Only children with ASD with low language ability had semantic neural processing deficits, indexed by a late onset and smaller N400 component compared to TD children when the N400 component was evoked, although it was not evoked to all auditory stimuli. There were negligible neural processing differences between children with high language ability and TD children. In children with ASD, the smaller N400 component predicts lower language ability and the smaller N400 component is predicted by deficits in cortical auditory processing indexed by a smaller P1 component. Thus, language deficits in children with ASD are predicted by semantic and cortical auditory processing deficits.M.Sc