Integration problems in high
functioning autism
Dorit Ben Shalom, Zlotowski Centre
for Neuroscience, Ben Gurion
University of the Negev
An under researched problem
By informal estimate, only 10% of people with
high functioning ASD have the severe form
Researchers have no idea what to look for
My main interest is in the severe form, because
so much more is known about the less severe
forms
The medial prefrontal cortex and
integration in autism
Ben Shalom, 2009
Ben Shalom, D. (2009). "The Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Integration in Autism."
Neuroscientist:
• Logical processing
• Conscious
Level 3
• Integration
• Pre-conscious
Level 2
• Animal processing
• Unconscious
Level 1
Emotion
the theory of mind hypothesis
(Baron-Cohen et al., 1985, Frith & Happe,
1994)
Baron-Cohen, S., A. M. Leslie, et al. (1985). "Does the autistic child have a "theory of mind" ?"
Cognition 21(1): 37-46.
Frith, U. (1994). "Autism and theory of mind in everyday life."
Social Development 3(2): 108-124.
emotion
Conscious
logical
processing of
emotions
Pre-conscious
integration of
emotional
states
The animal
level of
emotion
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Autistic
Neurotypical spectrum
disorder
Emotion
a
n
a
t
y
p
ic
a
lit
y
a
tt
h
e
in
t
e
g
r
a
t
iv
e
le
v
e
lc
o
u
ld
le
a
d
t
o
a
t
y
p
ic
a
le
m
o
t
io
n
a
ls
t
a
t
e
s
,a
n
d
t
o
a
la
c
k
o
fc
o
m
m
o
n
e
x
p
e
r
ie
n
c
e
sw
it
h
o
t
h
e
r
p
e
o
p
le
Memory
episodic (Bowler et al., 2000)
or ‘complex’ memory atypicalities
(Minshew and Williams, 2007)
Bowler, D. M., J. M. Gardiner, et al. (2000). "Episodic Memory and Remembering in Adults with Asperger
Syndrome." Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
30 (4): 295-304
Minshew, N. J. and D. L. Williams (2007). "The new neurobiology of autism: cortex, connectivity, and neuronal
organization." Archives of neurology 64 (7): 945-950.
memory
Conscious
logical
processing of
emotions
Pre-conscious
integration of
memory
episodes
The animal
level of
memory
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Autistic
Neurotypical spectrum
disorder
Memory
o
n
e
r
e
a
s
o
n
f
o
ra
t
y
p
ic
a
le
p
is
o
d
ic
o
r
'c
o
m
p
le
x
'm
e
m
o
r
y
in
A
S
D
c
o
u
ld
b
e
a
t
y
p
ic
a
lin
t
e
r
g
r
a
t
io
n
o
fm
e
m
o
r
y
e
p
is
o
d
e
s
Perception
the weak coherence hypothesis (Frith,
1989, Happe & Frith, 2006) (emphasis on
atypical top down processing)
the enhanced perceptual functioning
hypothesis (Mottron et al., 2006)
(emphasis on enhanced bottom up
processing)
perception
Conscious
logical
processing of
emotions
Pre-conscious
integration of
perceptual
objects
The animal
level of
perception
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Autistic
Neurotypical spectrum
disorder
Perception
a
la
c
k
o
fp
e
r
c
e
p
t
u
a
lo
b
j
e
c
t
sc
o
u
ld
r
e
d
u
c
e
t
o
p
d
o
w
n
p
r
o
c
e
s
s
in
g
a
n
d
e
n
c
o
u
r
a
g
e
b
o
t
t
o
m
u
p
p
r
o
c
e
s
s
in
g
Motor
dyspraxia (difficulty in planning complex
movements) is more general in ASD, going
beyond imitation (mostofsky et al., 2006)
motor
Conscious
logical
processing of
emotions
Level 3
Pre-conscious
integration of
motor actions
Level 2
The animal
level of
motor
behavior
Level 1
Autistic
Neurotypical spectrum
disorder
Motor
a
d
if
f
ic
u
lt
y
f
o
r
m
u
la
t
in
g
m
o
t
o
ra
c
t
io
n
sc
o
u
ld
le
a
d
t
o
a
d
if
f
ic
u
lt
y
in
m
o
t
o
rp
la
n
n
in
g
motor
emotion
memory
perception
JS (Smith, 2006)
“I have a hard time localizing pain [. . .]. I have a
very hard time explaining where aches are located
when my doctors ask”
Unrelated JS (Ben Shalom, Faran, &
Boucher, 2010)
who after 4 repetitions of 8 word pairs with
phonological interference knew only 2
Donna Williams (Williams, 2003)
“When I was 7 I got a doll's house [. . .]. I picked
it up [. . .] in my mouth [. . .]. I later moved onto
the series of flattened white blocks [. . .] before
stacking them in piles according to size. [. . .] I
saw no doll's house”
Ido Kedar (Kedar, 2010)
“It was my good fortune that I was able to learn to
communicate on letter board or computer with my
one finger. Thanks to that, my education is
possible”