Abstract
The autonomic responses of 10 autistic and 10 normal children were compared using auditory stimuli varying in social relevance. Consistent differences in heart rate response and skin conductance level were found between the groups. The results suggest that the autistic subjects exhibited deficits in psychophysiological reactivity to a range of environmental stimuli. Findings are discussed in terms of the information-processing capabilities of autistic children, and probable physiological correlates. Implications for treatment are considered.
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This research is based in part on a thesis submitted by the first author to the Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. This study was supported by Grant No. 07-2208 from the Rutgers University Research Council to the second author. Portions of this article were presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Philadelphia, March 1979. The authors are especially indebted to Dr. Sandra L. Harris for her guidance and support throughout the research effort. The authors are also grateful for the assistance of Dr. Rafael Klorman and Robert Edelberg for critical reading of a previous version of the manuscript, and to Chris Pappas, Judy Palkovitz, Jan Handleman, and Michael D'Amato for facilitating the research. We also thank Drs. Rafael Klorman and James R. Larson for their assistance in conducting statistical analyses.
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Palkovitz, R.J., Wiesenfeld, A.R. Differential autonomic responses of autistic and normal children. J Autism Dev Disord 10, 347–360 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02408294
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02408294