Global–Local Precedence in the Perception of Facial Age and Emotional Expression by Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

Global information processing and perception of facial age and emotional expression was studied in children with autism, language disorders, mental retardation, and a clinical control group. Children were given a global–local task and asked to recognize age and emotion in human and canine faces. Children with autism made fewer global responses and more errors when recognizing human and canine emotions and canine age than children without autism. Significant relationships were found between global information processing and the recognition of human and canine emotions and canine age. Results are discussed with respect to the relationship between global information processing and face perception and neural structures underlying these abilities.