TY - JOUR
T1 - Becoming a face expert
T2 - A computerized face-training program for high-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders
AU - Faja, Susan
AU - Aylward, Elizabeth
AU - Bernier, Raphael
AU - Dawson, Geraldine
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U19HD34565, P50HD066782), the National Institute of Mental Health (U54MH066399), and the Cure Autism Now Foundation. The development of the MacBrain Face Stimulus Set was overseen by Nim Totten-ham (tott0006@tc.umn.edu) and supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Early Experience and Brain Development. Special acknowledgment is given to Sara Webb, Kathleen Zanolli, and Marta Bloomquist for their suggestions in the development of the training; to Theodore Beauchaine for his valuable comments in the development of this manuscript; and to the individuals and families who participated. A paper based on this study was presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research, Sacramento, CA, May, 2004.
PY - 2008/1
Y1 - 2008/1
N2 - Typically developing individuals process faces using strategies that differ from those used for processing objects, and which tend to be holistic and based on configural information. Behavioral and neuroimaging studies suggest that individuals with autism may not utilize the same specialized strategies for face processing. The present study was designed to investigate whether computerized face-specific training, based on a modified version of Gauthier and Tarr's (1997) expertise protocol, can influence the face processing strategies and abilities of adolescents and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Ten individuals with ASD were assigned to either a training protocol designed to improve face processing (N = 5) or a control condition (N = 5). Outcomes assessed holistic processing and configural sensitivity. All trained individuals achieved a behavioral criterion of developing expertise in face recognition established in the literature. Outcome assessments indicated that the trained group showed significantly greater sensitivity to second-order configural relations compared with untrained controls, but did not differ on the measure of holistic processing. These findings suggest that face processing ability and strategies in autism can be significantly improved through training.
AB - Typically developing individuals process faces using strategies that differ from those used for processing objects, and which tend to be holistic and based on configural information. Behavioral and neuroimaging studies suggest that individuals with autism may not utilize the same specialized strategies for face processing. The present study was designed to investigate whether computerized face-specific training, based on a modified version of Gauthier and Tarr's (1997) expertise protocol, can influence the face processing strategies and abilities of adolescents and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Ten individuals with ASD were assigned to either a training protocol designed to improve face processing (N = 5) or a control condition (N = 5). Outcomes assessed holistic processing and configural sensitivity. All trained individuals achieved a behavioral criterion of developing expertise in face recognition established in the literature. Outcome assessments indicated that the trained group showed significantly greater sensitivity to second-order configural relations compared with untrained controls, but did not differ on the measure of holistic processing. These findings suggest that face processing ability and strategies in autism can be significantly improved through training.
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U2 - 10.1080/87565640701729573
DO - 10.1080/87565640701729573
M3 - Article
C2 - 18443967
AN - SCOPUS:38549153232
SN - 8756-5641
VL - 33
SP - 1
EP - 24
JO - Developmental Neuropsychology
JF - Developmental Neuropsychology
IS - 1
ER -