Neurotypical Group Research Articles

Adults with autism are less proficient in identifying biological motion actions portrayed with point-light displays.

BackgroundWhether individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have impairments with biological motion perception has been debated. The present study examined the ability to identify point‐light‐displayed (PLD) human actions in neurotypical (NT) adults and adults with ASD.MethodTwenty‐seven adults with ASD (mean age = 28.36) and 30 NT adults (mean age = 22.45) were tested. Both groups viewed 10 different biological motion actions contacting an object/tool and 10 without making contact. Each action was presented twice, and participant's naming responses and reaction times were recorded.ResultsThe ASD group had a significantly lower total number of correct items (M = 29.30 ± 5.08 out of 40) and longer response time (M = 4550 ± 1442 ms) than NT group (M = 32.77 ± 2.78; M = 3556 ± 1148 ms). Both groups were better at naming the actions without objects (ASD group: 17.33 ± 2.30, NT group: 18.67 ± 1.30) than those with objects (ASD group: 11.96 ± 3.57, NT group: 14.10 ± 1.97). Correlation analyses showed that individuals with higher Autism‐spectrum Quotient scale scores tended to make more errors and responded more slowly.ConclusionAdults with ASD were able to identify human point‐light display biological motion actions much better than chance; however, they were less proficient compared with NT adults in terms of accuracy and speed, regardless of action type.

IQ and Academic Achievement in Children with ADHD: the Differential Effects of Specific Cognitive Functions

The co-occurrence of lower full-scale intellectual abilities (FSIQ) and academic achievement deficits in children with ADHD is well established; however, the extent to which the relation reflects the influence of a general factor (g) deficiency or deficiencies in one or more specific intellectual abilities remains speculative and was the focus of the current investigation. Twenty-eight boys with ADHD-combined presentation and 26 neurotypical (NT) boys between 8 and 12 years of age were administered the WISC-IV and standardized measures of reading and math. FSIQ and achievement scores in both reading and math were significantly lower for the ADHD relative to the NT group; however, examination of WISC-IV index scores revealed that group level differences in FSIQ resulted from lower scores on two of the four specific intellectual ability indices—Working Memory (WMI) and Verbal Comprehension (VCI). Bias-corrected bootstrapped mediation analyses revealed that both WMI and VCI contributed uniquely to the ADHD-Academic Achievement relation. The contribution of WMI to ADHD-related academic underachievement reflected lower scores on the Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS) but not the Digit Span (DS) subtest. Both LNS and VCI explained ADHD-related differences in reading, whereas LNS alone explained ADHD-related differences in math. Collectively these findings suggest that strengthening deficient higher-level WM abilities, in conjunction with empirically based academic instruction, is needed to improve learning outcomes in children with ADHD.

Altered Gut Microbiota in Chinese Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders.

The link between gut microbes and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been already observed in some studies, but some bacterial families/species were found to be inconsistently up or down regulated. This issue has been rarely explored in the Chinese population. In this study, we assessed whether or not gut microbiota dysbiosis was associated with children with ASD in China. We enrolled 45 children with ASD (6–9 years of age; 39 boys and 6 girls) and 45 sex- and age-matched neurotypical children. Dietary and other socio-demographic information was obtained via questionnaires. We characterized the composition of the fecal microbiota using bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing. The ASD group showed less diversity and richness of gut microbiota than the neurotypical group, as estimated by the abundance-based coverage estimator index and the phylogenetic diversity index. The analysis of beta diversity showed an altered microbial community structure in the ASD group. After adjustment for confounders and multiple testing corrections, no significant group difference was found in the relative abundance of microbiota on the level of the phylum. At the family level, children with ASD had a lower relative abundance of Acidaminococcaceae than the healthy controls. Moreover, a decrease in the relative abundance of genera Lachnoclostridium, Tyzzerella subgroup 4, Flavonifractor, and unidentified Lachnospiraceae was observed in ASD group. This study provides further evidence of intestinal microbial dysbiosis in ASD and sheds light on the characteristics of the gut microbiome of autistic children in China.

Eating Problems in Men and Women with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The presence of eating problems was assessed in 53 males and 36 females with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with and without housing and residential support. The results were compared to a neurotypical group of 30 men and 38 women. The results indicate that men and especially women with ASD experience various eating problems. Women with ASD also recognized symptoms of an eating disorder. Hence, it is important to be aware of eating problems and symptoms of an eating disorder in adults with ASD, to ensure they receive the care they need.

Moderating effect of social interaction on enjoyment and perception of physical activity in young adults with autism spectrum disorders

Background: Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at increased risk for a sedentary lifestyle and its associated health problems. In neurotypical (NT) individuals, social participation and enjoyment are related to physical activity engagement. Exergaming has been shown to increase energy expenditure compared to traditional video games and is an effective option for community-based recreation.Methods: We measured physiological and psychological responses of young adults with ASD to exergaming under varying conditions and sought to determine whether playing alone versus with a partner influenced physical activity level and/or experience in NT young adults (n = 18) and those with ASD (n = 18).Results: Both ASD and NT groups experienced high enjoyment and perceived exertion while exergaming. Perceived exertion was moderated by enjoyment when young adults with ASD played with a partner, reporting less effort despite actually expending more energy.Conclusion: Social interaction may lead to increased intensity and duration of physical activity for individuals with ASD. Exergaming is a socially acceptable and age-appropriate exercise modality for this group and likely represents a cost-effective and accessible way to incorporate physical activity and social interaction into their daily lives.

Cognitive defusion for reducing distressing thoughts in adults with autism

BackgroundCognitive fusion occurs when people over-identify with their thoughts, leading to a strong emotional response and a narrowed behavioral repertoire. Cognitive defusion (CD) is a technique used in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to teach people how to pay attention to the process of thinking, thereby reducing the negative effect of over-identification and allowing people to behave in more adaptive ways. CD has been widely studied in neurotypical (NT) samples, but there is little research on cognitive fusion and related interventions for people diagnosed with autism (AS). MethodSixty-eight adult participants (AS group n = 27; NT group n = 41) answered questionnaires measuring psychological distress and dispositional levels of cognitive fusion. In a lab setting, participants next identified a personal distressing thought, then were randomized into a brief (5-minute) cognitive defusion technique or an equally-brief active distraction technique. Before and after the intervention, participants completed measures assessing the believability of their distressing thought and how much discomfort the thought caused. ResultsThe AS group reported higher overall trait levels of cognitive fusion than the NT group. Cognitive fusion was moderately- to strongly-related with psychological distress in both participant groups. The brief interventions worked equally well in immediately reducing thought believability and thought discomfort for AS and NT groups. ConclusionsThe current study provides support for cognitive fusion as a contributing factor to the psychological distress experienced by people with AS, and that a brief intervention technique can effectively reduce fusion at least in an immediate context. More work is needed to explore the specific short-term and long-term efficacy for interventions aimed to reduce cognitive fusion.

Validity of the Autism Mental Status Exam in Developmental Pediatrics and Primary Care Settings.

The Autism Mental Status Exam (AMSE) is a brief clinician-completed observational instrument that has shown promise in identifying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a referred sample. Our study explores the feasibility of the AMSE in both developmental pediatric and primary care samples. Fifty-three toddlers with ASD and other disabilities were scored using the AMSE and compared with 55 typically developing toddlers. AMSE scores differed significantly between ASD, non-ASD developmental disability, and neurotypical groups. A cutoff score on the AMSE of ≥5 for ASD maximized sensitivity (81.2%) and specificity (90.5%). Score differences between groups suggest that the AMSE may be useful in a clinical setting to help identify children with possible ASD.

Autism and Faux Pas. Influences of Presentation Modality and Working Memory.

People diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulties on Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks involving social situations, such as 'faux pas'. The objective of this study was to find the modality of presentation (visual, verbal, or mixed) that yields the best understanding of a 'faux pas', and the possible influence of other variables, including intelligence (IQ), age, and working memory. Thirty autistic children and 30 neurotypical children, all aged 7 to 12 years old and comparable in age and IQ, participated in this study. They were asked to resolve nine 'faux pas' stories (three per modality). Significant between-groups differences were found in the visual (t = 2.99, p = .004) and verbal modalities (t = 2.64, p = .011), such that the neurotypical (NT) group had higher scores than the ASD group. The ASD group's comprehension was better via the mixed modality than the verbal modality (t = 2.48, p = .019). In addition, working memory had a bigger impact on Faux Pas understanding in cases of autism than in typical development (R2 explained between .19 and .28 of variance in Faux Pas test outcomes), and could therefore explain some of the difficulties previously reported in this area. Future research should include a measure of working memory and a control among the stimuli presented to test for group differences in faux pas understanding.

Investigating alexithymia in autism: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundNew research suggests that, rather than representing a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), emotional processing difficulties reflect co-occurring alexithymia. Autistic individuals with alexithymia could therefore represent a specific subgroup of autism who may benefit from tailored interventions. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to explore the nature and prevalence of alexithymia in autism using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). MethodsOnline scientific databases were searched systematically for studies on ASD popu lations using the TAS. Meta-analyses were performed to evaluate differences in scores between the ASD and neurotypical groups, and to determine the prevalence of alexithymia in these populations. Results15 articles comparing autistic and neurotypical (NT) groups were identified. Autistic people scored significantly higher on all scores compared to the NT group. There was also a higher prevalence of alexithymia in the ASD group (49.93% compared to 4.89%), with a significantly increased risk of alexithymia in autistic participants. ConclusionsThis review highlights that alexithymia is common, rather than universal, in ASD, supporting a growing body of evidence that co-occurring autism and alexithymia represents a specific subgroup in the ASD population that may have specific clinical needs. More research is needed to understand the nature and implications of co-occurring ASD and alexithymia.

Stapedial reflex threshold predicts individual loudness tolerance for people with autistic spectrum disorders

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently show the symptoms of oversensitivity to sound (hyperacusis). Although the previous studies have investigated methods for quantifying hyperacusis in ASD, appropriate physiological signs for quantifying hyperacusis in ASD remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the relationship of loudness tolerance with the threshold of the stapedial reflex and with contralateral suppression of the distortion product otoacoustic emissions, which has been suggested to be related to hyperacusis in people without ASD. We tested an ASD group and a neurotypical group. The results revealed that only the stapedial reflex threshold was significantly correlated with loudness tolerance in both groups. In addition to reduced loudness tolerance, people with lower stapedial reflex thresholds also exhibited higher scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale-2.

Non-Gaussian Distributional Analyses of Reaction Times (RT): Improvements that Increase Efficacy of RT Tasks for Describing Cognitive Processes.

This didactic aims of this review are to demonstrate the advantages of examining the entire reaction time (RT) distribution to better realize the efficacy of mental speed assessment in clinical neuropsychology. RT distributions are typically non-normal, requiring consideration of a host of statistical issues. Specifically, the appropriate model of the mental speed task's distribution (e.g., ex-Gaussian, Weibull, Normal-Gaussian, etc.) must be determined to know what parameters can be used to characterize test performance. While RT mean and standard deviation are typically used to characterize clinical performance, these parameters are usually inappropriate because RT performance rarely conforms to a normal-Gaussian distribution. For illustrative purposes, a tutorial for examining the entire RT distribution is provided that demonstrates differences between an Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity and a neurotypical group of college students. While such analyses are descriptive, it is important to characterize test performance in the context of a theoretical model of RT performance. Therefore, the tutorial includes interpretation that uses the Diffusion model (Ratcliff Psychological Review, 85, 59-108, 1978), which assumes an ex-Gaussian distribution. It is concluded that current results conform to a large literature demonstrating a more nuanced understanding of cognition afforded by non-Gaussian analysis of RT. This literature is compelling neuropsychology to enlarge assessment technology beyond the limitations of paper-and-pencil instruments.

Autistic Traits Are Not a Strong Predictor of Binocular Rivalry Dynamics.

It has been suggested that differences in binocular rivalry switching rates and mixed percept durations in ASD could serve as a biomarker of excitation/inhibition imbalances in the autistic brain. If so, one would expect these differences to extend to neurotypical groups with high vs. low levels of autistic tendency. Previous studies did not detect any correlations between binocular rivalry dynamics and Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) scores in neurotypical control groups; however it is unclear whether this was due to the characteristics of the rivalry stimuli that were used. We further investigated this possibility in a sample of neurotypical young adults. The binocular rivalry stimuli were simple gratings, complex objects, or scrambled objects, which were presented dichoptically, either at fixation or in the periphery. A Bayesian correlation analysis showed that individuals with higher AQ scores tended to have lower perceptual switching rates for the centrally presented, simple grating rival stimuli. However, there was no evidence of a relationship between AQ and switching rates, reversal rates or mixed percept durations for any of the other binocular rivalry conditions. Overall, our findings suggest that in the non-clinical population, autistic personality traits are not a strong predictor of binocular rivalry dynamics.

Differences in fecal microbial metabolites and microbiota of children with autism spectrum disorders

Evidence supporting that gut problems are linked to ASD symptoms has been accumulating both in humans and animal models of ASD. Gut microbes and their metabolites may be linked not only to GI problems but also to ASD behavior symptoms. Despite this high interest, most previous studies have looked mainly at microbial structure, and studies on fecal metabolites are rare in the context of ASD. Thus, we aimed to detect fecal metabolites that may be present at significantly different concentrations between 21 children with ASD and 23 neurotypical children and to investigate its possible link to human gut microbiome. Using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we examined metabolite profiles and microbial compositions in fecal samples, respectively. Of the 59 metabolites detected, isopropanol concentrations were significantly higher in feces of children with ASD after multiple testing corrections. We also observed similar trends of fecal metabolites to previous studies; children with ASD have higher fecal p-cresol and possibly lower GABA concentrations. In addition, Fisher Discriminant Analysis (FDA) with leave-out-validation suggested that a group of metabolites-caprate, nicotinate, glutamine, thymine, and aspartate-may potentially function as a modest biomarker to separate ASD participants from the neurotypical group (78% sensitivity and 81% specificity). Consistent with our previous Arizona cohort study, we also confirmed lower gut microbial diversity and reduced relative abundances of phylotypes most closely related to Prevotella copri in children with ASD. After multiple testing corrections, we also learned that relative abundances of Feacalibacterium prausnitzii and Haemophilus parainfluenzae were lower in feces of children with ASD. Despite a relatively short list of fecal metabolites, the data in this study support that children with ASD have altered metabolite profiles in feces when compared with neurotypical children and warrant further investigation of metabolites in larger cohorts.

Language and music phrase boundary processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An ERP study

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is frequently associated with communicative impairment, regardless of intelligence level or mental age. Impairment of prosodic processing in particular is a common feature of ASD. Despite extensive overlap in neural resources involved in prosody and music processing, music perception seems to be spared in this population. The present study is the first to investigate prosodic phrasing in ASD in both language and music, combining event-related brain potential (ERP) and behavioral methods. We tested phrase boundary processing in language and music in neuro-typical adults and high-functioning individuals with ASD. We targeted an ERP response associated with phrase boundary processing in both language and music – i.e., the Closure Positive Shift (CPS). While a language-CPS was observed in the neuro-typical group, for ASD participants a smaller response failed to reach statistical significance. In music, we found a boundary-onset music-CPS for both groups during pauses between musical phrases. Our results support the view of preserved processing of musical cues in ASD individuals, with a corresponding prosodic impairment. This suggests that, despite the existence of a domain-general processing mechanism (the CPS), key differences in the integration of features of language and music may lead to the prosodic impairment in ASD.

Structural Covariance Networks in Children with Autism or ADHD.

BackgroundWhile autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are considered distinct conditions from a diagnostic perspective, clinically they share some phenotypic features and have high comorbidity. Regardless, most studies have focused on only one condition, with considerable heterogeneity in their results. Taking a dual-condition approach might help elucidate shared and distinct neural characteristics.MethodGraph theory was used to analyse topological properties of structural covariance networks across both conditions and relative to a neurotypical (NT; n = 87) group using data from the ABIDE (autism; n = 62) and ADHD-200 datasets (ADHD; n = 69). Regional cortical thickness was used to construct the structural covariance networks. This was analysed in a theoretical framework examining potential differences in long and short-range connectivity, with a specific focus on relation between central graph measures and cortical thickness.ResultsWe found convergence between autism and ADHD, where both conditions show an overall decrease in CT covariance with increased Euclidean distance between centroids compared with a NT population. The 2 conditions also show divergence. Namely, there is less modular overlap between the 2 conditions than there is between each condition and the NT group. The ADHD group also showed reduced cortical thickness and lower degree in hub regions than the autism group. Lastly, the ADHD group also showed reduced wiring costs compared with the autism groups.ConclusionsOur results indicate a need for taking an integrated approach when considering highly comorbid conditions such as autism and ADHD. Furthermore, autism and ADHD both showed alterations in the relation between inter-regional covariance and centroid distance, where both groups show a steeper decline in covariance as a function of distance. The 2 groups also diverge on modular organization, cortical thickness of hub regions and wiring cost of the covariance network. Thus, on some network features the groups are distinct, yet on others there is convergence.

Efferent inhibition strength is a physiological correlate of hyperacusis in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that is poorly understood. ASD can influence communication, social interaction, and behavior. Children with ASD often have sensory hypersensitivities, including auditory hypersensitivity (hyperacusis). In adults with hyperacusis who are otherwise neurotypical, the medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferent reflex is stronger than usual. In children with ASD, the MOC reflex has been measured, but without also assessing hyperacusis. We assessed the MOC reflex in children with ASD by measuring the strength of MOC-induced inhibition of transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs), a noninvasive physiological measure that reflects cochlear amplification. MOC activity was evoked by contralateral noise. Hyperacusis was assessed subjectively on the basis of the children's symptoms. We found a significant correlation between hyperacusis scores and MOC strength in children with ASD. When children were divided into ASD-with-severe-hyperacusis (ASDs), ASD-with-not-severe-hyperacusis (ASDns), and neurotypical (NT) groups, the last two groups had similar hyperacusis and MOC reflexes, whereas the ASDs group, on average, had hyperacusis and MOC reflexes that were approximately twice as strong. The MOC inhibition of TEOAEs averaged larger at all frequencies in the ASDs compared with ASDns and NT groups. The results suggest that the MOC reflex can be used to estimate hyperacusis in children with ASD and might be used to validate future questionnaires to assess hyperacusis. Our results also provide evidence that strong MOC reflexes in children with ASD are associated with hyperacusis and that hyperacusis is a comorbid condition and is not a necessary, integral part of the abnormal neural processing associated with ASD.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are a heterogeneous group, some with hyperacusis and some without. Our research shows that hyperacusis can be estimated in children with ASD by using medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex measurements. By establishing that an objective measure correlates with attributes of hyperacusis, our results enable future work to enable subtyping of children with ASD to provide improved individualized treatments to at-risk children and those without adequate language to describe their hyperacusis symptoms.

Role of Two Types of Syntactic Embedding in Belief Attribution in Adults with or without Asperger Syndrome.

The role of syntax in belief attribution (BA) is not completely understood in healthy adults and understudied in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Embedded syntax could be useful either for the development of Theory of Mind (ToM) (Emergence account) or more generally over the lifespan (Reasoning account). Two hypotheses have been explored, one suggesting that embedding itself (Relatives and Complement sentences and Metarepresentation account) is important for ToM and another one considering that the embedding of a false proposition into a true one (Complement sentences and Misrepresentation account) is important. The goals of this study were to evaluate (1) the role of syntax in ToM (Emergence vs. Reasoning account), (2) the type of syntax implied in ToM (Metarepresentation vs. Misrepresentation account), and (3) the verbally mediated strategies which compensate for ToM deficits in adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS). Fifty NeuroTypical (NT) adults and 22 adults with AS were involved in a forced-choice task including ±ToM tasks (BA and a control task, physical causation, PC) under four Interference conditions (silence, syllable repetition, relative sentences repetition, and complement sentences repetition). The non-significant ±ToM × Interference interaction effect in the NT group did not support the Reasoning account and thus suggests that syntax is useful only for ToM development (i.e., Emergence account). Results also indicated that repeating complement clauses put NT participants in a dual task whereas repeating relative clauses did not, suggesting that repeating relatives is easier for NT than repeating complements. This could be an argument in favor of the Misrepresentation account. However, this result should be interpreted with caution because our results did not support the Reasoning account. Moreover, AS participants (but not NT participants) were more disrupted by ±ToM tasks when asked to repeat complement sentences compared to relative clause sentences. This result is in favor of the Misrepresentation account and indirectly suggests verbally mediated strategies for ToM in AS. To summarize, our results are in favor of the Emergence account in NT and of Reasoning and Misrepresentation accounts in adults with AS. Overall, this suggests that adults with AS use complement syntax to compensate for ToM deficits.

Strategic use of reminders in an ‘intention offloading’ task: Do individuals with autism spectrum conditions compensate for memory difficulties?

Previous studies have found that individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) can have difficulty remembering to execute delayed intentions. However, in these studies participants were prevented from setting external reminders, whereas the use of such reminders in everyday life is commonplace (e.g. calendars, to-do lists, smartphone alerts). In the present study, 28 participants with ASC and 24 matched neurotypicals performed a task requiring them to remember delayed intentions. In the first phase participants were required to use unaided memory, whereas in the second they had the option to offload their intentions by setting reminders if they wished. Performance of the ASC group was significantly poorer than the neurotypical group in phase 1, and metacognitive evaluations of memory abilities mirrored this. Nevertheless, in the second phase, the ASC group failed to compensate for impaired performance: if anything they set fewer reminders than the neurotypical group. These results indicate that intact explicit metacognitive judgements cannot be assumed to lead directly to the use of compensatory strategies.

Visual perceptual load reduces auditory detection in typically developing individuals but not in individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

Previous studies examining selective attention in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have yielded conflicting results, some suggesting superior focused attention (e.g., on visual search tasks), others demonstrating greater distractibility. This pattern could be accounted for by the proposal (derived by applying the Load theory of attention, e.g., Lavie, 2005) that ASD is characterized by an increased perceptual capacity (Remington, Swettenham, Campbell, & Coleman, 2009). Recent studies in the visual domain support this proposal. Here we hypothesize that ASD involves an enhanced perceptual capacity that also operates across sensory modalities, and test this prediction, for the first time using a signal detection paradigm. Seventeen neurotypical (NT) and 15 ASD adolescents performed a visual search task under varying levels of visual perceptual load while simultaneously detecting presence/absence of an auditory tone embedded in noise. Detection sensitivity (d') for the auditory stimulus was similarly high for both groups in the low visual perceptual load condition (e.g., 2 items: p = .391, d = 0.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.39, 1.00]). However, at a higher level of visual load, auditory d' reduced for the NT group but not the ASD group, leading to a group difference (p = .002, d = 1.2, 95% CI [0.44, 1.96]). As predicted, when visual perceptual load was highest, both groups then showed a similarly low auditory d' (p = .9, d = 0.05, 95% CI [-0.65, 0.74]). These findings demonstrate that increased perceptual capacity in ASD operates across modalities. (PsycINFO Database Record

Similarities in Autistic and Neurotypical Visual-Haptic Perception When Making Judgements About ConflictingSensory Stimuli.

A number of studies have shown that multisensory performance is well predicted by a statistically optimal maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) model. Under this model unisensory estimates are combined additively and weighted according to relative reliability. Recent theories have proposed that atypical sensation and perception commonly reported in autism spectrum condition (ASC) may result from differences in the use of reliability information. Furthermore, experimental studies have indicated that multisensory processing is less effective in those with the condition in comparison to neurotypical (NT) controls. In the present study, adults with ASC (n=13) and a matched NT group (n=13) completed a visual-haptic size judgement task (cf. Gori et al., 2008) in which participants compared the height of wooden blocks using either vision or haptics, and in a dual modality condition in which visual-haptic stimuli were presented in size conflict. Participants with ASC tended to produce more reliable estimates than the NT group. However, dual modality performance was not well predicted by the MLE model for either group. Performance was subsequently compared to alternative models in which the participant either switched between modalities trial to trial (rather than integrating) and a model of non-optimal integration. Performance of both groups was statistically comparable to the cue-switching model. These findings suggest that adults with ASC adopted a similar strategy to NTs when processing conflicting visual-haptic information. Findings are discussed in relation to multisensory perception in ASC and methodological considerations associated with multisensory conflict paradigms.