Intelligence profiles of children and adolescents with High functioning autism spectrum disorder

Riccardo Alessandrelli, Claudia Di Bucchianico, Valeria Mancini, Dominga Marfisi, Tatiana Bortolatto, Candida Marchione, Luana Pitturelli, Maria Elena Di Bucchianico, Antonietta Vassalli, Morena Farese, James Dawe, Lina Pezzuti

Accepted April 30, 2020

First published April 30, 2020

Abstract

In this paper we identify an endophenotype for individuals with Autism spectrum disorder – level 1 (ASD-1) and normal cognitive functioning using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition with a clinical sample of 80 diagnosed ASD-1 children without intellectual disability (with FSIQ>70), and a comparison matched-paired
control group (n = 80) combined for age, gender of children and parents’ level education. From results emerged that the clinical ASD-1 with High functioning group (ASD-1 HF) performed worse than the matched-paired control group on
Processing Speed Index and Working Memory Index, reflecting the sensitivity of these measures to generalized cognitive impairment. This result is also confirmed by the absence of a difference between the ASD-1 HF and control groups
in the General Ability Index and the large difference to the Cognitive Proficiency Index in favour of the control group.Again, 36% of ASD children had a rare and large difference between the 4 indices and then the FSIQ could be deemed
uninterpretable as unitary and cohesive ability. We argue that the ASD-1’s cognitive profile cannot be interpreted as a unitary entity represented from simply FSIQ, but we can obtain a better assessment of cognitive level in ASD subjects
using separately the General Ability Index and the Cognitive Proficiency Index.

Intelligence profiles of children and adolescents with High functioning autism spectrum disorder

References

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Alessandrelli Riccardo . Di Bucchianico Claudia . Mancini Valeria . Marfisi Dominga . Bortolatto Tatiana . Marchione Candida . Pitturelli Luana . Di Bucchianico Maria Elena . Vassalli Antonietta . Farese Morena . Dawe James . Pezzuti Lina . Intelligence profiles of children and adolescents with High functioning autism spectrum disorder. BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin. 2020;287(1):43-54.

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Intelligence profiles of children and adolescents with High functioning autism spectrum disorder

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