Teaching Cognitive Skills to Children with Autism

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by deficits in language, socialization, and the presence of restricted interests (American Psychiatric Association 2013). Cognition is an area of functioning that is critical to everyday functioning across all three of these areas. A large amount of research has documented cognitive deficits in individuals with ASD, in terms of general intellectual disability and specific areas of cognition, in individuals with or without intellectual disability. The topic of intellectual disability in ASD has received ample attention elsewhere and will not be the focus of this chapter. Instead, we will address particular areas of cognitive functioning as behavioral repertoires that are amenable lo intervention. We begin by discussing basic philosophical differences between cognitive and behavioral approaches to the topic of cognition, not merely for scholarly interest but because doing so will lay the groundwork for how cognition can be researched and intervened upon behaviorally. Next, we review the burgeoning area of research inlo behavioral intervention for cognition in ASD. Finally, we dedicate a significant portion of the chapter to discussing future directions for research on teaching cognitive skills to children with ASD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)