Author: laura.hull

No evidence for high inflexible precision of prediction errors in autism during lexical processing

Many autistic people experience difficulties with reading. This study examined whether this might be related to how autistic people process words. Specifically, this research examined whether autistic adults process how letters are positioned and the meaning of words differently to non-autistic people. No differences in word processing were found between autistic and non-autistic people. This suggests that if an autistic adult does experience reading difficulties, it is unlikely to be related to differences in word processing.

The research team included Philippa Howard (School of Education).

Masking by autistic children: In their own words and pictures

Masking (or camouflaging) of autism involves hiding aspects of autism in social situations. Most research into masking has focused on the experiences of autistic adults, and we still don’t know much about whether or how autistic children mask, or the impact it might have. This study used a photo-elicitation approach where autistic children were able to express their experiences of masking by taking photos and talking to interviewers about the photos. The children described a range of experiences of masking, including feeling different to other children, and as if there were multiple ‘versions’ of themselves.

The research team included Laura Hull (Bristol Medical School) and Felicity Sedgewick (School of Education).