Projet de Recherche :
Co-directeurs: Mikhail Kissine & Arnaud Destrebecqz
Doctorante: Charlotte Dumont
Implicit statistical learning (ISL) refers to the acquisition of knowledge about complex structures without an intention to do so and in such a way that the acquired knowledge is difficult to verbalise. Linguistic and non-linguistic ISL abilities have been shown to correlate with several aspects of language acquisition and use, including word segmentation, vocabulary, phonotactic and orthographic regularities, speech production and syntax. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neuro-developmental disorder, characterised by life-long difficulties in the socio-communicative domain. Crucially, around 60 % of children with ASD display a delayed and atypical language acquisition trajectory. While early-onset socio-communicative deficits in joint attention likely contribute to language delays in ASD, it is much less clear whether language outcomes should necessarily be predicted by increased orientation towards other people. Given the importance of ISL for language acquisition, an intriguing research question is to what extent children with ASD may rely on such mechanisms to acquire language.