Tyler K. Perrachione, Ph.D., of Boston University, plans to investigate the brain bases of phonological working memory deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder. Phonological working memory refers to the skills that allow for the short-term maintenance of speech sounds in the brain. Deficits in this kind of working memory can severely impair vocabulary growth and speech perception. To investigate the physical roots of these deficits, Dr. Perrachione and colleagues will track brain activity in children with autism while they complete tasks used in the clinical diagnosis of communication impairments.