Spatial Navigation Impairments Among Intellectually High-Functioning Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Exploring Relations With Theory of Mind, Episodic Memory, and Episodic Future Thinking

Research suggests that spatial navigation relies on the same neural network as episodic memory, episodic

future thinking, and theory of mind (ToM). Such findings have stimulated theories (e.g., the scene

construction and self-projection hypotheses) concerning possible common underlying cognitive capacities.

Consistent with such theories, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by concurrent

impairments in episodic memory, episodic future thinking, and ToM. However, it is currently unclear

whether spatial navigation is also impaired. Hence, ASD provides a test case for the scene construction

and self-projection theories. The study of spatial navigation in ASD also provides a test of the extreme

male brain theory of ASD, which predicts intact or superior navigation (purportedly a systemizing skill)

performance among individuals with ASD. Thus, the aim of the current study was to establish whether

spatial navigation in ASD is impaired, intact, or superior. Twenty-seven intellectually high-functioning

adults with ASD and 28 sex-, age-, and IQ-matched neurotypical comparison adults completed the

memory island virtual navigation task. Tests of episodic memory, episodic future thinking, and ToM

were also completed. Participants with ASD showed significantly diminished performance on the

memory island task, and performance was positively related to ToM and episodic memory, but not

episodic future thinking. These results suggest that (contra the extreme male brain theory) individuals

with ASD have impaired survey-based navigation skills—that is, difficulties generating cognitive maps

of the environment—and adds weight to the idea that scene construction/self-projection are impaired in

ASD. The theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed.