Behavioural and neural indices of perceptual decision-making in autistic children during visual motion tasks

Many studies report atypical responses to sensory information in autistic individuals, yet it is not clear which stages of processing are affected, with little consideration given to decision-making processes. We combined diffusion modelling with high-density EEG to identify which processing stages differ between 50 autistic and 50 typically developing children aged 6-14 years during two visual motion tasks. Our pre-registered hypotheses were that autistic children would show task-dependent differences in sensory evidence accumulation, alongside a more cautious decision-making style and longer non-decision time across tasks. We tested these hypotheses using hierarchical Bayesian diffusion models with a rigorous blind modelling approach, finding no conclusive evidence for our hypotheses. Using a data-driven method, we identified a response-locked centro-parietal component previously linked to the decision-making process. The build-up in this component did not consistently relate to evidence accumulation in autistic children. This suggests that the relationship between the EEG measure and diffusion-modelling is not straightforward in autistic children. Compared to a related study of children with dyslexia, motion processing differences appear less pronounced in autistic children. Exploratory analyses also suggest weak evidence that ADHD symptoms moderate perceptual decision-making in autistic children.

Automated summary

This study investigates the differences in sensory information processing and decision-making processes in autistic children through the combination of diffusion modeling and high-density EEG. The study finds no conclusive evidence for task-dependent differences in sensory evidence accumulation, cautious decision-making style, and non-decision time in autistic children compared to typically developing children. The relationship between EEG measures and diffusion modeling is also found to be complex in autistic children. Motion processing differences in autistic children appear to be less pronounced compared to children with dyslexia. Exploratory analysis suggests weak evidence that ADHD symptoms may moderate perceptual decision-making in autistic children.