A neuro-computational account of success and failure in acquiring communication skills

2026-07-22

Why do most people acquire expertise with practice whereas others fail to master the same tasks? NeuroCompSkill offers a neuro-computational framework that explains failure in acquiring verbal and non-verbal communication skills. It focuses on individual ability of using task-relevant regularities, postulating that efficient use of such regularities is crucial for acquiring expertise. Specifically, it proposes that using stable temporal regularities, acquired across long time windows (> 3 sec to days) is crucial for the formation of linguistic (phonological, morphological and orthographic) skills. In contrast, fast updating of recent events (within ~ .3- 3 sec), is crucial for the formation of predictions in interactive, social communication. Based on this, I propose that individuals with difficulties in retaining regularities will have difficulties in verbal communication, whereas individuals with difficulties in fast updating will have difficulties in social non-verbal communications. Five inter-related work packages (WP) will test the predictions that: (WP1) behaviourally – individuals with language and reading difficulties will have impoverished categorical representations, whereas individuals with non-verbal difficulties will be slow in adapting to changed statistics. (WP2) developmentally – poor detection of relevant regularities will be an early marker of related difficulties. (WP3) computationally – profiles of impaired inference will match the predicted time window. (WP4) neuronally – dynamics of neural adaptation will match the dynamics of behavioural inference. (WP5) structurally – different brain structures will be associated with the different time windows of inference. NeuroCompSkill is ground-breaking in proposing a unifying, theory based, testable principle, which explains core difficulties in two prevalent developmental communication disorders. Its 5 WPs will lay the foundations of a comprehensive approach to failure in skill acquisition.

Israel

2026-02-01