Previous studies have shown that the basic properties of the visual representation of space are reflected in spatial language. This close relationship between linguistic and non-linguistic spatial systems has been observed both in typical development and in some developmental disorders. Here we provide novel evidence for structural parallels along with a degree of autonomy between these two systems among individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, a developmental disorder with uneven cognitive and linguistic profiles. In four experiments, we investigated language and memory for locations organized around an axis-based reference system. Crucially, we also recorded participants' eye movements during the tasks in order to provide new insights into the online processes underlying spatial thinking. Twenty-three intellectually high-functioning individuals with autism (HFA) and 23 typically developing controls (TD), all native speakers of Norwegian matched on chronological age and cognitive abilities, participated in the studies. The results revealed a well-preserved axial reference system in HFA and weakness in the representation of direction within the axis, which was especially evident in spatial language. Performance on the non-linguistic tasks did not differ between HFA and control participants, and we observed clear structural parallels between spatial language and spatial representation in both groups. However, there were some subtle differences in the use of spatial language in HFA compared to TD, suggesting that despite the structural parallels, some aspects of spatial language in HFA deviated from the typical pattern. These findings provide novel insights into the prominence of the axial reference systems in non-linguistic spatial representations and spatial language, as well as the possibility that the two systems are, to some degree, autonomous.

中文翻译：

---

空间语言困难反映了完整空间表征的结构：来自高功能自闭症的证据

以往的研究表明，空间视觉表征的基本属性体现在空间语言中。语言和非语言空间系统之间的这种密切关系已在典型发育和某些发育障碍中观察到。在这里，我们为自闭症谱系障碍患者提供了结构相似性以及这两个系统之间一定程度的自主性的新证据，自闭症谱系障碍是一种具有不均匀认知和语言特征的发育障碍。在四个实验中，我们研究了围绕基于轴的参考系统组织的位置的语言和记忆。至关重要的是，我们还记录了参与者在任务过程中的眼球运动，以提供对空间思维背后的在线过程的新见解。23 名智力高的自闭症患者 (HFA) 和 23 名典型发育对照组 (TD)，所有母语为挪威语的人在实际年龄和认知能力上都匹配，参与了这些研究。结果揭示了HFA中保存完好的轴向参考系统和轴内方向表示的弱点，这在空间语言中尤其明显。HFA 和对照组参与者在非语言任务上的表现没有差异，我们观察到两组空间语言和空间表示之间存在明显的结构相似性。然而，与 TD 相比，HFA 中空间语言的使用存在一些细微的差异，这表明尽管结构相似，但 HFA 中空间语言的某些方面偏离了典型模式。