Exploring the development of past and future episodic memory in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A preliminary longitudinal study

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical period where individuals build their identity and consolidate how they interact with others. However, for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the development of identity and social bounds is at stake. These challenges with the development of identity and social bonds could be linked to difficulties in autobiographical memory (AM), whether recalling past events (past episodic memory; past EM) or imagining future scenarios (episodic future thinking; EFT). To date, developmental patterns of AM over time remain poorly understood in ASD. Eleven adolescents with ASD or typical development (TD) completed an assessment of past EM and EFT once per year for three years. Preliminary results show that past EM becomes more detailed over the years for adolescents with ASD, while there is no change for TD adolescents. Interestingly, only the content elements of the narrated events are increasing, not the context elements. Furthermore, EFT evolves in the TD group but remains stable in the ASD group. This first multi-case longitudinal study of AM needs to be replicated with more participants, but it seems to indicate a heterogeneous evolution of AM in ASD. For future studies, these results will lead us to explore the hypothesis of developmental delay and the factors influencing AM development in ASD. Finally, understanding these developmental pathways highlights the importance of personalized therapeutic approaches to support social integration, identity construction, and future projects for adolescents with ASD.