Fig. 1

Task design. (A) During visually guided trials, participants see a target bar that turns from yellow to green to indicate that they should start pressing. Participants also view feedback of their force output (white bar) for the entire trial. (B) During memory guided trials, participants see visual feedback of their force output (white bar) and the green target bar for the first 3s of the trial, after which the white force bar disappears, and they are instructed to keep pressing at the same force level until the target turns red (12s later). (C) Example force output (dark blue) in Newtons (N) for a neurotypical participant during a visually guided trial. The grey line represents target force. (D) Example force output (dark blue) in Newtons (N) for a neurotypical participant during a memory guided trial with target force indicated by the grey line. The participants’ force usually begins to decay (black arrow) after the visual feedback disappears. (E) Example force output (dark blue) in Newtons (N) for an autistic participant during a visually guided trial. (F) Example force output (dark blue) in Newtons (N) for an autistic participant during a memory guided trial