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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

EV0182

Beyond cognitive training in autism spectrum disorder: The potential of the Feuerstein method

BEYOND COGNITIVE TRAINING IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: THE POTENTIAL OF THE FEUERSTEIN METHODOLOGY

Although conventional cognitive training produces strong near transfer in autism, its far transfer to adaptive functioning is limited; the Feuerstein method offers a theoretically distinct alternative, but empirical evidence in autistic adults remains scarce.

The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive training interventions in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to discuss the potential of the Feuerstein method. The methodology comprised a systematic literature review covering 2020–2025, an analysis of theoretical and empirical contributions concerning the Feuerstein method, and a review of implementation experiences in Italian public health services, including those in Turin and Trieste. The findings indicate that current systematic reviews report strong near transfer from conventional cognitive training but limited far transfer to adaptive functioning. Empirical evidence for the Feuerstein method in adults with level 2–3 ASD is sparse; existing support comes largely from theoretical and clinical sources and older multicenter studies, while implementation in Italian public services suggests clinical feasibility. The method is based on the concepts of dynamic assessment of learning potential (Learning Propensity Assessment Device, LPAD), structural cognitive modifiability (SCM), and mediated learning experience (MLE); through mediation at the input, processing, and output stages, it aims to shift individuals from a passive role to that of active strategy generators. The poster reports no numerical results, effect sizes, or number of included studies. In conclusion, the authors view the method as a generalizable and sustainable framework that moves beyond a task-specific approach and propose a multicenter study to test its feasibility and effectiveness in adults with level 2–3 ASD.

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