Harris H, Israeli D, Minshew N, Bonneh Y, Heeger DJ, Behrmann M, Sagi S, Perceptual learning in autism: over-specificity and possible remedies, Nature Neuroscience, 18:1574-1576, 2015.
Abstract: Inflexible behavior is a core characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but its underlying cause is unknown. Using a perceptual learning protocol, we observed initially efficient learning in ASD that was followed by anomalously poor learning when the location of the target was changed (over-specificity). Reducing stimulus repetition eliminated over-specificity. Our results indicate that inflexible behavior may be evident ubiquitously in ASD, even in sensory learning, but can be circumvented by specifically designed stimulation protocols.