The effectiveness of vestibular exercises in enhancing auditory memory and discrimination in high-functioning children with autism.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of vestibular exercises in enhancing auditory memory and auditory discrimination in high-functioning children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods: Employing a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, the study recruited 20 children aged 6-8 years with confirmed diagnoses of high-functioning autism from psychology clinics in Tehran in 2024, using convenience sampling. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 10), which underwent vestibular training, or a control group (n = 10) that received no intervention. Auditory discrimination was evaluated using the Weppman Auditory Discrimination Test, while auditory memory was assessed through Continuous Performance Testing (CPT) software. Data analysis was performed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) via SPSS version 24.

Results: The experimental group exhibited statistically significant improvements in both auditory memory and auditory discrimination relative to the control group ( = 0.001), confirming the efficacy of vestibular training.

Conclusion: Vestibular exercises markedly improve auditory processing capacities in high-functioning children with ASD. These results underscore the potential benefit of incorporating vestibular-based interventions into therapeutic protocols aimed at enhancing communication and cognitive outcomes in children on the autism spectrum.