Research summary
We tend to assume that as children mature, they will naturally pick up social skills—that is, the ability to interpret social cues, understand other people’s perspectives, form and maintain relationships, and navigate social situations. But how does the process of acquiring these skills actually work? To learn more, Dr. Xiaoqian Chai, Canada Research Chair in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, is studying the relationship between social cognitive development in children with autism and the maturation of large-scale brain networks and memory.
She and her research team are exploring the factors that may be behind memory and social deficits in people with autism. They want to figure out how brain networks function during tasks and how differences in brain networks relate to memory and social skills in both neurotypical children and those with autism. Ultimately, their work will lead to deeper insights into how children’s brains develop and how autism affects memory and social ability.