Study of the use of frames of reference in cognitive processes in autism spectrum disorder: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Reference frames allow objects and people to be located within space, and having an impact on the spatial and social world. The egocentric reference frame (ERF) allows the subject to position himself from his own perspective, while the allocentric reference frame (ARF) allows establishing relationships between objects without considering his own perspective. Some of the research done on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has found alterations in reference frames. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate by analysis of original articles if people with ASD present alterations in the ERF, ARF or in both. PRISMA methodology was used. The data search was carried out in PubMed, ScienceDirec and Springer link, using the following combination of Keywords: egocentrism, allocentric, spatial, cognition, visuospatial perspective taking and ASD. 964 articles were found, of which 15 met with the established criteria. Of the studies that performed tasks to assess ERF, three reported alterations and seven reported normal functioning. In contrast, of those that studied ARF, eight showed alterations and six normal functioning. The evidence indicates that ASDs showing alterations in the ARF, but not in the ERF, however, this is not conclusive, as the research present bias, the tasks and the ages of the subjects are heterogeneous, the samples are small, and designs and procedures are varied. In conclusion, the evidence is not yet decisive on the deterioration of the use of frames of reference in ASD.