1. Weak Central Coherence
A Comprehensive Theory of Autism

2. Autistic savant artists

4. Frith (2003) The need to explain non-social features of autism
The need to explain savant abilities
The need to explain an apparent lack of common sense
The need to explain anecdotal reports of heightened perceptual abilities
The need to explain an uneven intellectual profile

5. Block Design Test (Shah & Frith, 1993)
Individuals with autism were significantly faster than matched controls
Pre-segmentation helped controls but not individuals with autism

6. Embedded Figures Test (Shah & Frith, 1983)
Individuals with autism were significantly faster at locating the hidden figure than matched controls.
Pring et al (1995): Individuals with autism were as fast at solving a jigsaw upside-down as right-way-up

7. Frith & Snowling (1986) Ambiguous homographs:
“She was doing some sewing when she noticed a tear in her dress”
“She was watching a sad movie and then a tear appeared in her eye”

8. Superiority in visual search
O’Riordan et al (2001)

9. The Navon task Mottron et al (1993)
ssssssssss
s s s s s s s

10. Narrowing of attentional spread Mann & Walker (2003)

11. Boundary Extension Intraub (1990)

12. Chapman et al, 2005

13. Results
Clear boundary extension, with a mean value of 12.51% (i.e. as if 12.5% further away): , t(35) = 10.78, p < .001, d = 1.80.
The degree of boundary extension was virtually identical between those with and without autism

14. Reduced susceptibility to illusions
Happe (1996)
Individuals with autism were less susceptible to illusions than matched controls
But….
Failed Replication by Ropar & Mitchell (2001)

15. Thouless (1931) Phenomenal regression to the real object: a demonstration of shape constancy

16. Ropar and Mitchell (2002) not slanted slanted slanted Ellipse
Stimulus Shape
Viewing Condition
Projected Shape
not slanted
Ellipse
slanted
Perspective
slanted
Knowledge