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Comparing the intelligence profiles of savant and nonsavant individuals with autistic disorder
Abstract
It is yet unknown whether individuals with and without savant abilities being affected by the same mental disorder display differences with regard to their intelligence profile. To examine this issue, we compared the test performance of 33 savant and 26 nonsavant autistic subjects using the Wechsler Intelligence Scales-Revised for children or adults (WISC-R/WAIS-R). Data analysis revealed inconsistent results with rather negligible differences concerning the compound of cognitive capacities. However, savant and nonsavant individuals with autism exhibited a significant mean difference on the subscale Digit Span. This finding may indicate less impaired working memory and executive function in autistic savants or rote memory and low-level processing being core savant skills. Several limitations of the study are discussed.
... Przy czym najczęstszą zdolnością była umiejętność obliczania dat kalendarzowych [9]. W 2004 roku Bölte i Poustka [16] podali, że z przebadanej grupy 254 osób z idiopatycznym autyzmem 33 osoby były sawantami, co stanowi 13% tej grupy [16]. W 2009 roku Howlin i wsp. ...
... Przy czym najczęstszą zdolnością była umiejętność obliczania dat kalendarzowych [9]. W 2004 roku Bölte i Poustka [16] podali, że z przebadanej grupy 254 osób z idiopatycznym autyzmem 33 osoby były sawantami, co stanowi 13% tej grupy [16]. W 2009 roku Howlin i wsp. ...
... W grupie 33 autystycznych sawantów najczęściej występującymi zdolnościami były: wybitna pamięć (16), muzyczne uzdolnienie (6), arytmetyka (5), czytanie (4), zdolności wizualno-przestrzenne (1) i rysunkowe (1). Poza 4 przypadkami wszyscy badani mieli więcej niż jedną niezwykłą umiejętność typową dla sawantów [16]. ...
Od lat trwają badania nad zespołem sawanta, których celem jest ustalenie podłoża neurologicznego oraz anatomicznego tego niezwykłego fenomenu. W artykule dokonano przeglądu badań dotyczących zespołu sawanta z lat 2000-2022 - dostępnych w bazach PubMed, ResearchGate i Google Scholar. Zespół sawanta występuje z częstością 1,4 na 1000 osób z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną i u 10% osób z diagnozą zaburzeń ze spektrum autyzmu. Autyzm jest zaburzeniem, które najczęściej współwystępuje z zespołem sawanta – u około 50% wszystkich osób z diagnozą zespołu sawanta. Badacze wyróżniają: wrodzony zespół sawanta który – dotyczy około 90% osób z tym zespołem i nabyty zespół sawanta, który występuje w przebiegu otępienia czołowo-skroniowego lub u osób, które doświadczyły urazu ośrodkowego układu nerwowego. Istnieje wiele teorii kognitywnych, które tłumaczą zdolności sawantów. Nie odkryto anatomicznego podłoża tej jednostki przy użyciu technik neuroobrazowania. Nie stworzono jak dotąd jednolitej teorii, która rzetelnie wyjaśniałaby etiologię i patomechanizm zespołu sawanta. Dotychczasowe badania neuroobrazowe osób z objawami zespołu sawanta były przeprowadzone na zbyt małej liczbie badanych. Istnieją przesłanki ku temu by sadzić, że stymulacja magnetyczna mózgu może przyczynić się do lepszego zrozumienia neurofizjologicznych podstaw tego zespołu.
... Interestingly, there is a high concordance between savant syndrome and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) where approximately 50% of savant individuals have also ASD 5,10,11 , and 10-30% of persons with ASD have exceptional abilities 4,12,13 . Another similarity between these two conditions is that both have a similar male-to-female ratio of 4-6:1 5,14 . ...
... The data for this study was derived from the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC; version 15) 31 which includes a wide variety of clinical and genetic information from 2,852 families in which only one child has a diagnosis of ASD (simplex families). Presence of savant skills was determined using five designated questions in the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) questionnaire 32 , as defined in previous, large scale studies 4,12,13,29,33 . A subject was defined as currently having an exceptional skill that is "definitely above the subject's general level of ability and above the general population's normal level" if he/she had a score of 2 ("isolated skill, not used functionally/meaningfully") or 7 ("isolated skill, used meaningfully") in at least one of the following special skill items: Visuospatial ability (item 88); musical ability (item 90); drawing skill (item 91); reading ability (item 92); and computational ability (item 93). ...
... Multiple other large-scale studies (e.g. 4,12,13,29,33 used the parental reports to determine exceptional talents among children with ASD. Some of these studies, which used both parental reports and empirical tests of some of the reported skills 4,39 , suggested that parental reports provide a good proxy for their child's exceptional talent. ...
Savant syndrome is a phenomenon whereby individuals with cognitive impairments have one or more outstanding abilities, inconsistent with their general intellectual functioning. Approximately 50% of savant individuals have autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and 10–30% of people with ASD have savant skills. To shed additional light on this considerable overlap, we compared autistic traits as measured by the Social-Responsiveness-Scale (SRS) between 712 children with at least one reported savant skill, as determined by designated questions from the ADI-R questionnaire (savant group), and 2,032 non-savant children from the Simons-Simplex-Collection (SSC) database. We also examined SRS scores of the parents of these children and compared parent-child differences in SRS scores between the savant and non-savant groups. Savant children had significantly lower SRS scores (less deficiencies) compared to non-savant children (P < 0.05), while no such differences were observed among their parents. Further intra-familial analyses revealed weak pairwise-correlations (r = −0.015–0.141) between SRS scores of parents and their children, and significantly larger parent-child differences in standardized SRS scores within savant families (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the less severe autistic traits among savant children with ASD compared to other people with ASD is not likely to be a familial trait.
... Of this group, 53% reported special ability in music, 40% in memory, 25% in mathematical calculations, and 19% in art. Among 254 subjects with ASD, Bolte and Poustka (2004) reported that 13% had at least one special skill and 11% had special skills in several domains as assessed on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). In this study, the most frequently described special skill was exceptional memory. ...
... In this cohort, none of those with savant skills had a non-verbal IQ on the Wechsler test below 50 and, overall, the means of the savant group were consistently higher than those without special skills. Bolte and Poustka (2004) did not find differences in IQ between groups with ASD with and without special skills. ...
... It is possible that 'exceptional memory' skills in the younger ages, as found in our study, might develop into a more specific special ability, such as calendrical calculation, in a defined area. Bolte and Poustka (2004) reported special skills only in 13% of 254 participants based on ADI-R relevant items. The definition of the group with special skills was similar to that used in the current study. ...
Special abilities may be common in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical presentation of ASD with special abilities. Special abilities were defined based on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). Based on a sample of 398 children, ages 2–7 years old with ASD, 112 with special skills were compared to an age- and gender-matched group without special abilities (n = 79). The examined measures included autism symptoms severity, adaptive behaviors and head circumference percentile. Children with ASD and special abilities seemed to exhibit significantly less impaired ASD symptoms in the social, communication and stereotyped behaviors and significantly better adaptive skills than individuals with ASD without special skills. Children with ASD and special abilities had a larger head circumference percentile than children without special abilities. Special abilities occurred in 28% of the study participants. Memory skills were the most frequently reported special ability, followed by musical, visuospatial and reading skills. The authors conclude that individuals with ASD and special abilities might represent a distinct ASD subgroup with milder clinical ASD presentation. Larger head circumference in ASD was previously associated with enhanced “local” connectivity which provides detailed information processing and therefore might be related to the appearance of special abilities.
... 1 Savant syndrome is a constellation of symptoms or behaviors, a collection of characteristics or conditions that is superimposed and grafted on to some underlying disabilities. [2][3][4][5][6][7] It is not a disorder or disease. 8 It is characterized by certain spectacular skill(s) or prodigious intellectual gifts in a specific area (i.e.: mathematical, musical, artistic, mechanical abilities, etc), subnormal intelligence, massive memory, different disability/handicap or sometimes with severely limited emotional range. ...
... 8 It is characterized by certain spectacular skill(s) or prodigious intellectual gifts in a specific area (i.e.: mathematical, musical, artistic, mechanical abilities, etc), subnormal intelligence, massive memory, different disability/handicap or sometimes with severely limited emotional range. [2][3][4][5][6][7] Formerly, savant syndrome is known as idiot savant, first coined by Down. 9 Type Savant syndrome has been differentiated into two kinds, i.e.: 10 1. 'Prodigious' savants, i.e.: individuals whose talents and abilities are exceptional and well beyond the range of normal functioning in relation to both their overall level of functioning and the general population. ...
Savant syndrome is an enigmatic disorder. It is characterized by cluster of outstanding mental ability in otherwise handicapped individuals. People with savant syndrome exhibit exceptional-extraordinary abilities and demonstrate some specific talents or particular skills along with developmental disabilities. Their profound and prodigous abilities are far in excess of what are considered normal. There is a paradoxical presence of special skills and distinguished disabilities. The documented savant skills include “lightning-speed” numerical calculation, calendrical calculation, musical savants (exceptional musical abilities, especially perfect pitch), artistic skills, hyperlexics (fast reading and understanding). Other types of talents and artistic skills involving three-dimensional drawing, map memory, poetry, painting, and sculpturing are also observed. The goal of this scientific article is to review savant syndrome, based on neurophenomenology framework and recent findings.
... Scores on this measure have a mean of 100 and a Standard Deviation of 15; ''Low'' scores are 2 standard deviations below the mean, ''Moderately Low'' are 1-2 standard deviations below the mean, ''Adequate'' are within 1 standard deviation of the mean, ''Moderately High'' are 1-2 standard deviations above the mean, and ''High'' scores are 2 or more standard deviations above the mean. While little research to date has examined the adaptive functioning of individuals with high functioning ASD, extant research has demonstrated that individuals with ASD have much poorer overall adaptive functioning than would be expected for their IQ, and the discrepancy between adaptive functioning and IQ may be more significant in individuals with higher functioning ASD (Assouline et al. 2009;Bölte and Poutska 2004;Klin et al. 2007;Saulnier and Klin 2007;Tomanik et al. 2007). For example, Klin et al. (2007) examined adaptive functioning using the VABS in two groups of high functioning children with ASD and found Daily Living skills to be 1-2 standard deviations below the mean, Communication skills 1.5-2 standard deviations below the mean, and Socialization skills 2-3 standard deviations below the mean. ...
... For example, Klin et al. (2007) examined adaptive functioning using the VABS in two groups of high functioning children with ASD and found Daily Living skills to be 1-2 standard deviations below the mean, Communication skills 1.5-2 standard deviations below the mean, and Socialization skills 2-3 standard deviations below the mean. In general, individuals with ASD demonstrate greatest weaknesses within the Socialization domain on the Vineland-II, with moderate weaknesses in the Communication domain, and relatively milder weaknesses in the Daily Living Skills domain; however, all adaptive functioning scores are typically below average in this population (Assouline et al. 2009;Bölte and Poutska 2004;Carter et al. 1998;Klin et al. 2007;Tomanik et al. 2007). Furthermore, adaptive behavior scores have been shown to decrease as age increases in individuals with ASD. ...
Research on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is thriving; however, scant empirical research has investigated how ASD manifests in high ability youth. Further research is necessary to accurately differentiate high ability students with ASD from those without the disorder, and thus decrease the risk of misdiagnosis. The purpose of the present study is to provide an empirical account of the intellectual, adaptive, and psychosocial functioning of high ability youth with and without ASD utilizing a group study design. Forty youth with high cognitive ability and ASD and a control group of 41 youth with high cognitive ability and no psychological diagnosis were included in the study. In comparison to the control group, the ASD group showed poorer functioning on measures of processing speed, adaptive skills, and broad psychological functioning, as perceived by parents and teachers. These findings have significant implications for diagnosing ASD among those with high ability, and the development of related psychological and educational interventions to address talent domains and areas of concern.
... Although there is a lack of certain data on the correlation between executive functions and talent, reduced cognitive flex-ibility could be linked to obsessive pursuit and narrow interests in autism [37]. Furthermore, some studies have shown working memory may be superior in savant groups compared to nonsavant groups with autism [38,39]. Moreover, Snyder [40] suggested that executive dysfunctions may facilitate the development of savant skills. ...
Based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition, Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterized by patterns of delay and deviance in the development of social, communicative, cognitive skills and the presence of repetitive and stereotyped behaviors as well as restricted interests. Some studies have shown that 50% of individuals with autism have special abilities, a higher percentage than other neurodevelopmental disorders or intellectual disabilities. Often, however, these talents are obscured by important limitations especially in daily living skills. The therapeutic challenge is represented by the use of these talents for enabling purposes to allow people with autism to achieve the best possible quality of life.
... The remarkable islands of mental competence among otherwise mentally disabled individuals define SS. Interestingly, there is a significant degree of concordance between SS and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), with 10 -30% of patients with ASD demonstrating extraordinary talents and around 50% of patients with SS also having ASD [2,[26][27][28][29][30]. In general, mutations in the PTEN gene, fragile X syndrome (FXS), or neurofibromatosis (NF1) promote the over-activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, resulting in autism-like behaviors [31]. ...
... Although the existing scientific studies with ASD savant individuals, it is observed high heterogeneity about conceptual rigor, diagnostic criteria, methods, or outcomes used to measure savant skills (Bölte & Poustka, 2004). Thus, despite the contributions of different authors, the concept of savant in ASD and etiopathogenic theories are still not sufficiently clear. ...
This study aimed to review the scientific literature on etiopathogenic factors of savant syndrome associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Searches were performed in the following databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Embase, Scopus, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, Latin America and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information, and Google Scholar, as well as gray literature and indirect search. A total of 42 studies were included in the present review, and the etiopathogenic theories of each study were assessed. Despite more than 100 years of reports on savant syndrome, most studies on this topic still comprise subjective opinions or qualitative analysis. In the last 3 decades, we found more structured studies with relevant methodology. There are still large gaps in knowledge regarding the concept, etiopathogenic theories, and psychometric assessment of savant syndrome associated with ASD, which indicates the need for future research.
... Adults with ASD performed better than adults with TD when counting concentric squares , consistent with the less global, perhaps "immature, " visual processing reported previously in ASD (Happe et al., 2001;Dakin and Frith, 2005;Mottron et al., 2006). This "local processing" strength is associated with better performance in some samples with ASD, compared to TD samples, on tasks that require processing of individual features or other analytical skills (e.g., embedded figures test; Bolte and Poustka, 2004;Dakin and Frith, 2005;Mottron et al., 2006;Ashwin et al., 2009). In addition, on a WM task, TD groups and their peers with ASD also performed similarly, even across age. ...
Studies comparing individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to typically developing (TD) individuals have yielded inconsistent results. These inconsistencies reflect, in part, atypical trajectories of development in children and young adults with ASD compared to TD peers. These different trajectories alter group differences between children with and without ASD as they age. This paper first summarizes the disparate trajectories evident in our studies and, upon further investigation, laboratories using the same recruiting source. These studies indicated that cognition improves into adulthood typically, and is associated with the maturation of striatal, frontal, and temporal lobes, but these age-related improvements did not emerge in the young adults with ASD. This pattern – of improvement into adulthood in the TD group but not in the group with ASD – occurred in both social and non-social tasks. However, the difference between TD and ASD trajectories was most robust on a social task, face recognition. While tempting to ascribe this uneven deficit to the social differences in ASD, it may also reflect the prolonged typical development of social cognitive tasks such as face recognition into adulthood. This paper then reviews the evidence on age-related and developmental changes from other studies on ASD. The broader literature also suggests that individuals with ASD do not exhibit the typical improvements during adolescence on skills important for navigating the transition to adulthood. These skills include execution function, social cognition and communication, and emotional recognition and self-awareness. Relatedly, neuroimaging studies indicate arrested or atypical brain maturation in striatal, frontal, and temporal regions during adolescence in ASD. This review not only highlights the importance of a developmental framework and explicit consideration of age and/or stage when studying ASD, but also the potential importance of adolescence on outcomes in ASD.
... The exact prevalence of such abilities in the autistic population is unclear and has been overrepresented in media depictions of autistic individuals (Draaisma, 2009). Research in this area has provided estimates of special abilities in the autistic population that range anywhere from 13% to 42% (Bennett & Heaton, 2012;Bolte & Poustka, 2004;Itzchak et al., 2013). ...
Estimates suggest as much as 17% of the U.S. workforce may be
neuroatypical (CIPD, 2018; Sargent, 2019), a term used to describe
individuals whose neurological functioning is at the tail ends of the
distribution of naturally occurring variation. Although the neuroatypical
population has a history of under- and un- employment (Roux et al.,
2015; Taylor & Seltzer, 2011; Austin & Pisano, 2017), their inclusion in
the modern workplace (i.e., promotion of neurodiversity within
organizations) is gaining recognition by scholars and organizations as an
important dimension of organizational diversity (Brinzea, 2019). Despite
this burgeoning interest in examining neuroatypicality in the context of
organizational diversity, surprisingly little research has been conducted
that bridges these two research areas. The literature that does exist is
scattered across several different academic disciplines, largely outside of
industrial-organizational psychology, and rarely examines the
employment of neuroatypical workers explicitly from a diversity
perspective. In this article we argue that as the nature of work evolves
and jobs continue to become more specialized, neurodiversity will
become an increasingly relevant dimension of organizational diversity,
and is likely to play a key role both in terms of individual employees’
well-being and performance outcomes, as well as organizational success.
... The exact prevalence of such abilities in the autistic population is unclear and has been overrepresented in media depictions of autistic individuals (Draaisma, 2009). Research in this area has provided estimates of special abilities in the autistic population that range anywhere from 13% to 42% (Bennett & Heaton, 2012;Bolte & Poustka, 2004;Itzchak et al., 2013). ...
... Savant skills are generally defined as extraordinary talents that are both out of keeping with the person's general abilities and stand out relative to the general population (Treffert, 2009). While savant skills are often thought of in the context of intellectual disability (ID; e.g., exceptional skill in a certain domain paired with ID; O'Conner & Hermelin, 1988;Pring, 2005Pring, , 2007, studies suggest that these extraordinary talents are observed in autistic individuals with and without ID (Bal et al., 2021;Howlin et al., 2009;Miller, 1999) and those with and without savant skills have comparable intellectual profiles (Bolte & Poustka, 2004). Savant skills studied in autism primarily fall into five categories: music, art, calendar calculating, mathematics, and mechanical or spatial skills (Treffert, 2009). ...
Despite increasing attention to understanding strengths in those on the autism spectrum, few studies have explored this in older individuals. The present study provides a qualitative analysis of parent-reported strengths and positive qualities of 68 15–30-year-olds with autism and/or intellectual disability (ID). Most parents (97%) reported at least one positive quality. Themes were consistent with previous studies; Personality characteristics (82%) and Sociability (53%) were reported most frequently. A Work Ethic/Motivation category not previously reported emerged. Autistic individuals (with/without ID) were more likely than those with ID-only to have a Specific Skill. Findings highlight the importance of recognizing strengths of autistic adults. Research is needed to understand how to best leverage positive qualities to promote goal achievement and quality of life.
... Considerable limitations to research on savant syndrome exist, such as a lack of standardized testing, heterogenous descriptions of the syndrome and constrained testability of savants (Bölte & Poustka, 2004). The most pressing limitation to this research however, is the low frequency of the syndrome in the population. ...
... Readers are encouraged to refer to the detailed reasons for exclusion that are stated below in Table 1. The studies by Bölte and Poustka (2004), Koyama et al. (2009), Kumazaki et al. (2015, and Calero et al. (2015) included results obtained after categorizing participants into groups by either gender or treatment response. However, these results were treated as one group. ...
This study was a systematic review of research using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to examine cognitive characteristics of children with ASD beyond the impact of revisions based on WISC and diagnostic criteria changes. The classic “islets of ability” was found in individuals with full-scale IQs < 100. The “right-descending profiles” were observed among high IQ score individuals. High levels on the Block Design and low Coding levels were consistently found regardless of the variation in intellectual functioning or diagnosis. This review identified patterns of cognitive characteristics in ASD individuals using empirical data that researchers may have previously been aware of, based on their experiences, owing to the increased prevalence of ASD.
... Wel is er enige evidentie gevonden voor een relatie met een (zeer) goed ontwikkeld werkgeheugen, dat ook geschaard wordt onder de executieve functies (Bölte & Pouka, 2004). Een sterk geheugen kan ervoor zorgen dat iemand gemakkelijk feitelijke informatie zoals getallen en data kan onthouden. ...
Talenten van mensen met een autismespectrumstoornis annelies spek Samenvatting Autisme wordt vooral geassocieerd met beperkingen, terwijl er ook regelmatig sprake is van talenten. Deze komen voor bij 28,5% tot 62,5% van de mensen met autisme. Hierbij lijkt het vooral te gaan om een zeer goed ontwikkeld ge-heugen, of om excellente rekenkundige, creatieve, auditieve of verbale vaardigheden. Het is nog niet duidelijk waarom geïsoleerde talenten vaker voor-komen bij mensen met autisme. Sommige theorieën gaan uit van genetische overlap tussen autisme en geïsoleerde talenten, andere zien een oorzakelijke rol in de specifieke manier van informatie verwerken die autisme kenmerkt. Het is belangrijk dat hulpverleners aandacht hebben voor talenten bij mensen met autisme en die in kaart weten te brengen. Hierbij kunnen neuropsycholo-gische tests, vragenlijsten en interviews van waarde zijn. Trefwoorden: autisme, talenten, positieve eigenschappen, informatieverwerking inleiding
... There is no consensus on exactly how savant skills are developed in autistic individuals. Bölte and Poustka [11] showed that savants do not show differences in standard intelligence compared to other autistic individuals. It could therefore be that their skills develop simply through many hours of extended practice. ...
Background
Savant syndrome is a condition where prodigious talent can co-occur with developmental conditions such as autism spectrum conditions (autism). It is not yet clear why some autistic people develop savant skills while others do not.
Methods
We tested three groups of adults: autistic individuals who have savant skills, autistic individuals without savant skills, and typical controls without autism or savant syndrome. In experiment 1, we investigated the cognitive and behavioural profiles of these three groups by asking participants to complete a battery of self-report measures of sensory sensitivity, obsessional behaviours, cognitive styles, and broader autism-related traits including social communication and systemising. In experiment 2, we investigated how our three groups learned a novel savant skill—calendar calculation.
Results
Heightened sensory sensitivity, obsessional behaviours, technical/spatial abilities, and systemising were all key aspects in defining the savant profile distinct from autism alone, along with a different approach to task learning.
Conclusions
These results reveal a unique cognitive and behavioural profile in autistic adults with savant syndrome that is distinct from autistic adults without a savant skill.
Electronic supplementary material
The online version of this article (10.1186/s13229-018-0237-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
... Apart from behavioral dysfunctions, autistic individuals might present a number of intact or even outstanding cognitive functions [22]. Extraordinary cognitive or artistic skills in individuals with intellectual, mental, or sensory disability are also known as "savant syndrome" [33,8]. Savant skills or so called "islets of ability" include performing music, drawing, calculating, learning foreign languages, and knowing the day of the week for any given date (calendar calculating). ...
... Rote learning, which can use perceptual representation or semantic representation, is a relative strength for high-functioning children with ASD (Ben Shalom, 2003; Bölte & Poustka, 2004;Williams, Goldstein, & Minshew, 2006). Some children appear to use this strength to facilitate the recognition of whole words, leading to strong reading achievement in early grades (Mayes & Calhoun, 2006) that diminishes over time because this strategy is less useful as text vocabularies increase and comprehension demands become more complex. ...
The number of high-functioning children identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has greatly increased in recent years. The academic skills of these children show considerable variation, and some children struggle with basic reading. It is important to update and expand our understanding of factors contributing to the development of word reading skills in this population because revised diagnostic criteria, small samples, large age and ability ranges, a narrow selection of variables, and varying outcome measures limit the generalizability of older results.
The purpose of this study was to document systematically the literacy, cognitive, language, and executive function skills of high-functioning children with ASD in the early grades, and identify predictors of basic reading skills. Although restrictive behaviors and communication and social deficits define ASD, cognitive inflexibility is also a life-long challenge. Since cognitive flexibility may facilitate the acquisition of reading, measures of this skill were included as possible additional predictors.
Assessments were conducted with a diverse sample of 63 children with ASD, ages 6 through 9. All participants had nonverbal ability above 80, were enrolled in grades 1 - 4, and participated in the general curriculum. Group performance on all measures was reviewed to determine patterns of strength or weakness. A series of regression analyses was conducted to identify predictors of basic reading and to determine whether cognitive flexibility explained additional variance.
Basic reading skills varied greatly, with many children, especially first-graders, exhibiting above-average skills. Verbal, nonverbal, language, phonemic awareness, and word reading skills were average, but weaknesses were found in cognitive flexibility, working memory, visual processing speed, listening comprehension, and retrieval fluency. As is the case for typically developing children, measures of nonverbal ability, language, and phonemic awareness had strong relationships with the basic reading measures, and were able to predict 55 percent of the variance, but cognitive flexibility did not contribute significantly after controlling for these factors.
Results support the importance of specialized instruction and accommodations for children with ASD, even those with above-average ability, in order to address deficits in language and executive functions.
... Sin embargo, otras observaciones llevaron a la conclusión de que en el RM existe una alteración global en todas las funciones cognitivas; por el contrario, en el autismo, especialmente en el SA y el AFF, existen deficiencias en algunas funciones, en tanto que en otras se evidencia una capacidad sobresaliente (Ardila & Roselli, 2007). Algunos autores consideran que esta capacidad sobresaliente se constituye en una forma de compensar las alteraciones que existen en las otras funciones (Calle de Medinaceli & Utria, 2004), mientras que otros consideran que esta es una posición que subvalora las capacidades de los autistas y que deberían considerarse las habilidades extraordinarias como una manifestación de la inteligencia de estos individuos (Bölte & Poustka, 2004). ...
Intelligence in autistic spectrum disorders, especially autism high functioning and the Asperger’s syndrome has been subject of numerous investigations that seek to establish intellectual ability observed in these subjects. Some of the most outstanding results indicate that fluid intelligence is one of the aspects of superior performance in this population compared to tests that measure crystallized intelligence such as the Wechsler scales, reason why intelligence studies should use instruments that measure abstract reasoning and the analogue capacity, closely related to fluid intelligence function, one of this test is the Raven progressive matrices. In the present research we evaluated 12 children with high functioning Autism and 6 with Asperger’s syndrome through the WISC-IV and the Raven test. The results showed there are not significant differences between both measures of intelligence. However, we found that there are differences in the intellectual profile of both groups and that Asperger’s syndrome appears to have a better intellectual level compared with high functioning Autism © 2015, Fundacion para el Avance de la Psicologia. All rights reserved.
... Ifølge Liss og medarbeidere (2001) er en svikt i kognitiv fleksibilitet kanskje den eksekutive dysfunksjonen som er mest konsistent forbundet med AST, og den manglende fleksibiliteten kan betraktes som relatert til smale interesser. Noen forskere mener at eksekutive ferdigheter som arbeidshukommelse er svaert gode hos personer med AST og savant syndrom, sammenlignet med de med AST uten dette syndromet (Bölte & Poustka 2004; Treffert, 2014). God hukommelse alene kan imidlertid neppe gi en kausal forklaring på savant syndrom. ...
Abstract: Savant syndrome is a rare condition that occurs together with autism spectrum disorder (ASDs; autism, atypical autism and Asperger syndrome). Savant syndrome refers to individuals, who despite serious, mental impairments show remarkable abilities on certain, often small domains. About 10 percent of individuals with ASDs have savant syndrome in varying degrees. The causes of savant syndrome are unclear. However, cognitive hypotheses claim that impairments in theory of mind, executive functions may predispose to talent in savant domains, and so does a detail-focused cognitive style. Alternatively, savant syndrome may be caused by a developmental disorder of the brain, or in some cases by an acquired brain lesion. These hypotheses do not so far seem to account for the causes of this fascinating syndrome.
... This type of performance leads to a great use of rote (concrete) memory, which is Savant syndrome – theories and empirical findings 17 characterized by the sort of facts that savants tend to memorize, for example, large quantities of numbers, trivial information and whole pages of books, even in foreign languages (Treffert, 2006). Bölte and Poutska (2004) have found supportive empirical evidence for the rote memory theory. In one study, they measured performance in the Digit span -test which is suggested to be a test of rote memory. ...
... Sin embargo, otras observaciones llevaron a la conclusión de que en el RM existe una alteración global en todas las funciones cognitivas; por el contrario, en el autismo, especialmente en el SA y el AFF, existen deficiencias en algunas funciones, en tanto que en otras se evidencia una capacidad sobresaliente (Ardila & Roselli, 2007). Algunos autores consideran que esta capacidad sobresaliente se constituye en una forma de compensar las alteraciones que existen en las otras funciones (Calle de Medinaceli & Utria, 2004), mientras que otros consideran que esta es una posición que subvalora las capacidades de los autistas y que deberían considerarse las habilidades extraordinarias como una manifestación de la inteligencia de estos individuos (Bölte & Poustka, 2004). ...
Intelligence in autistic spectrum disorders, especially
high functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome has
been the subject of numerous investigations that seek
to establish intellectual ability observed in these subjects.
Some of the most outstanding results indicate
that fluid intelligence is one of the aspects of superior
performance in this population compared to tests that
measure crystallized intelligence such as the Wechsler scales, providing a reason for using in intelligence studies
instruments that measure abstract reasoning and the
analogical capacity, closely related to fluid intelligence
function, one of this like the Raven progressive matrices.
In the present research we evaluated 12 children
with high functioning Autism and 6 with Asperger’s
syndrome through the WISC-IV and the Raven test.
The results showed there are no significant differences
between both measures of intelligence. However, we
found that there are differences in the intellectual profile
of both groups and that Asperger’s syndrome appears
to have a better intellectual level compared with high
functioning Autism.
... Differences in methodology may explain the discrepancy between our findings and those reported previously. For example, some studies examined only ''current'' SIS and excluded SIS that were present at a previous point in life (Bolte and Poustka 2004;Howlin et al. 2009). This may explain why the prevalence reported in these studies is lower than that reported here, because some SIS may disappear with age. ...
Individuals with autism recurrently demonstrate faster and more accurate performance (cognitive peaks) on the Block Design Task (BDT) subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale. Cognitive accounts suggest that peak BDT performance derives from a reduced "top-down" interference of perceptual cohesiveness of the global figure, whereas perceptual accounts suggest that peaks may originate from superior local visual processing (bottom-up) of component blocks. Using a computerized version of the BDT, the current study assessed whether this characteristic peak originates from a bottom-up perceptual origin by manipulating the visual attributes defining the component blocks of the BDT. Secondly, this study assessed whether there is a relationship in performance difference between manual (traditional) and computerized measures of the BDT. Twenty participants with and without autism completed both traditional and computerized versions of the BDT. For the computerized version, participants were asked to match a centrally presented target design with one of 4 surrounding probes as quickly and accurately as possible, presented on a touch-sensitive screen. The visual attributes of the blocks were manipulated: traditional, red/white; luminance-defined, black/white; or texture-defined blocks. The perceptual coherence of blocks, was also manipulated, where low-coherence (LC) designs necessitated increased local analysis relative to high-coherence (HC) designs. Reaction times in the LC condition were significantly lower in the autism group (i.e., cognitive peak) for the black/white luminance condition only. Correlations between the manual and computerized BDT performance were negative, demonstrating that there is no relationship between performances on these two versions of the test. These results indicate that the characteristic, higher-level visuo-spatial performance in autism, as exemplified by cognitive peaks, may have a perceptual (bottom-up) rather than cognitive (top-down) origin. These results can inform clinical decisions regarding perceptual and cognitive strengths in individuals with autism.
Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2014
... For this subgroup, some sort of underlying fundamentally altered memory function has been postulated. A prominent account in this regard is rote memory (14)(15)(16), which is information processing that avoids grasping the inner complexities and inferences of the subject that is being learned and instead focuses on memorizing the material mechanically, so that it can be recalled by the learner exactly the way it was read or heard. Although it has been demonstrated that autistic savants capture a structure and apply rules within their domain of expertise (such as music or calendar calculating; see (17)), nonmeaningful memory strategies might also be present, for example, in memory savants who are able to remember all kinds of meaningless information (18). ...
Background: Individuals with autism exhibit typical recognition memory performance, but they show a reduced use of context and relational processing in more complex memory tasks. It is unclear whether the same is true for autistic individuals with exceptional memory skill for whom superior rote memory skill has been assumed.
Objective: In this study, we investigated recognition memory for high and low associative stimuli in autistic memory experts. In accord with the rote memory notion, we expected an equal recognition performance for high and low associative stimuli and superior memorizing of nonsense material compared to control participants.
Method: Seven autistic memory experts and seven typically developed control subjects, matched according to age, sex, handedness, and full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ), were examined on a continuous old-new recognition paradigm, including high or low associative pseudowords and shapes. Memory expertise was characterized as a currently present outstanding memory skill above the subject’s general level of ability and above the general population and was validated through direct clinical observation or some form of credible evidence.
Results: Our hypotheses were partially corroborated with autistic memory experts recognizing high and low associative shapes equally well in contrast to control participants who showed superior recognition of high associative shapes. However, memory experts did not outperform control participants in the recognition of low associative shapes. There were no differences for the recognition of pseudowords.
Conclusions: Findings do not indicate enhanced memory for nonsense material, but a failure to make use of semantic features of abstract stimuli as assumed for autism as a whole.
... Differences in methodology may explain the discrepancy between our findings and those reported previously. For example, some studies examined only ''current'' SIS and excluded SIS that were present at a previous point in life (Bolte and Poustka 2004;Howlin et al. 2009). This may explain why the prevalence reported in these studies is lower than that reported here, because some SIS may disappear with age. ...
Outstanding skills, including special isolated skills (SIS) and perceptual peaks (PP) are frequent features of autism. However, their reported prevalence varies between studies and their co-occurrence is unknown. We determined the prevalence of SIS in a large group of 254 autistic individuals and searched for PP in 46 of these autistic individuals and 46 intelligence and age-matched typically developing controls. The prevalence of SIS among autistic individuals was 62.5 % and that of PP was 58 % (13 % in controls). The prevalence of SIS increased with intelligence and age. The existence of an SIS in a particular modality was not associated with the presence of a PP in the same modality. This suggests that talents involve an experience-dependent component in addition to genetically defined alterations of perceptual encoding.
Electronic supplementary material
The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10803-014-2296-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
... Savant syndrome is a rare ability that usually person with neurodevelopmental or neurological disorder possess; this ability comprises of mathematical, musical, memory, drawing, spatial and fine motor coordination skills (Snyder, 2009). Savant skills are more common in the autistic population than the non-autistic population (Bölte & Poustka, 2004;Howlin, Goode, Hutton, & Rutter, 2009). While a healthy mind uses concepts to function and comprehend, the impoverished concept formation in savants causes them to see the world in its uncensored form (Snyder, 2009). ...
... There is a general view that people with HFA will have an intact or superior functioning in selective attention, rule-learning, visuospatial areas, motor learning, and perceptual motor integration. [1,[4][5][6] With regards to intelligence, verbal quotient was usually reported to be higher than the performance quotient [7] lending support to a conventional hypothesis that probably superior crystallized intelligence is a characteristic feature of HFA. [8] Nevertheless there are no studies from India to corroborate the above findings. ...
Intelligence is assessed for ruling out mental retardation and to find out the relative cognitive strengths in autism. Of special interest is to know the nature of intelligence and cognition in high functioning autism. But very little is known how the assessments are carried given the deficits in communication, socialization in autism. This cross-sectional study aims to describe the nature of intelligence and cognition in a child with HFA and drawing implications for assessment in the Indian setting. Results indicate that there is no evidence for superior crystallized intelligence in HFA, though a jagged profile could be expected both across and within cognitive domains.
... The theory maintains that there is a reciprocal relationship between global and local processing. This approach, which is also known in a similar form as "attention to detail" or "local information processing", serves to explain specific cognitive strengths that can be observed in ASD (Bölte et al., 2002b;Bölte & Poustka, 2004). The theory was inspired by comparatively good performances of individuals with ASD in the Embedded Figures Test as well as the mosaic test of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales (Shah & Frith, 1993). ...
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are heterogeneous, neurodevelopmental disorders with early onset, characterized by a triad of impairments in reciprocal interaction and communication as well as repetitive and restricted interests and activities. Though underlying causes still remain largely unknown, there is now evidence for abnormal growth trajectories in the early brain development in ASD during vulnerable periods and subsequent impairment of neuronal organization and differentiation of neuronal networks. A growing number of studies over the last 10 years support the efficacy of behaviorally based interventions in ASD for the improvement of social communication and behavioral functioning. In contrast, research on neurobiologically based therapies for ASD is still at its beginnings. In this article, we will provide a selective overview of novel interventions and trainings based on neurobiological principles. Directions and options for future research on treatment aiming at restoration of normal plasticity in disrupted brain circuits in ASD are discussed.
... Recent research into these conditions has suggested they might represent a low signal-to-noise ratio (sensu Cohen and Schreiber 1992Schreiber , 1993 see also Snyder 2009), making it difficult for subjects to integrate inputs coherently (Frith and Happé 1994: 121; see also Frith 1989), possibly resulting from a failure in inhibitory top-down processing constraints (Snyder 2009 ). The broad (though largely anecdotal ) literature that exists on instances of creativity and remarkable specific cognitive feats among schizotypic and autistic individuals, respectively, is certainly suggestive of a link with innovativeness (e.g., Brune 2004a, 2004b; Bolte and Poustka 2004; Burch et al. 2006; Kelly et al. 1997; Miller and Tal 2007; Nettle 2001; Nettle and Clegg 2006; Pring and Hermelin 2002; though see also Keller and Miller 2006; see also Jamison 1993 for discussion of the links between creativity and bipolar disorder). At the neurological level, then, it would seem that cognitive flexibility is related not to brain size or number of neurons, but on their connectivity (e.g., Cajal 1989: 459) and on the context of neurological activity—which are strongly dependent on a variety of 'social' factors (Grove and Coward 2008; Coward and Grove submitted). ...
Archaeological interest in innovation traditionally focuses on creativity in material culture and, in the case of the Paleolithic, particularly on the changing morphology of stone tools. However, this is only one result of a constel-lation of innovative processes that occur both between and within hominin groups evolving towards the unique modern human lifeway. The adaptations scaffolding such innovative processes include not only the cognitive mechanisms and biological and skeletal adaptations that underpin technological innovation and cultural trans-mission, but also the behavioral strategies pursued by hominin groups and individuals. In this paper, we draw from a Social Brain approach to argue that it is hominins' innovative social and group-oriented behavioral strate-gies that drive technological developments and distinguish us from other primates. A variety of models and meth-odologies developed to investigate the interrelationships between the crucial ecological, social, and behavioral variables are reviewed here for an archaeological audience in order to stimulate research to test and refine these models with archaeological data.
... Of those with reported skills, the most common were music (53%), memory (40%), mathematical/calculating skills (25%) and art (19%); 53 per cent had multiple special abilities (Rimland & Fein 1988). Bö lte & Poustka (2004), in a study of 254 individuals with autism, identified 33 (13%) with at least one special skill as assessed on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R; Le Couteur et al. 2003). Exceptional memory was the most frequently reported and 29 individuals had multiple savant skills. ...
... The term "savant" has been used to describe those individuals who demonstrate a marked difference between their general intellectual abilities and a specific area of advanced skill (Huber, 2007). Bölte and Poutska (2004) described savant syndrome as "a phenomenon of grave cognitive, mental, or sensory disability paired with an outstanding capacity in a circumscribed domain of intellectual or artistic function" (p. 121). ...
The diagnostic category of autism has been extensively investigated over the past 65 years since the condition was first described by Dr. Leo Kanner (1943), making it one of the most validated psychological disorders. Research has examined the characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across a variety of domains, including diagnostic symptomology, intellectual profiles, adaptive behavior, and psychosocial functioning. However, there exists a paucity of empirical research on intellectually gifted children with ASD. The goal of the current study was to compare the psychometric profiles of gifted youth with and without ASD across the domains of intellectual functioning, psychosocial/behavioral functioning, social skills, and adaptive behavior using an empirical, group study design. It was hypothesized that, in comparison to the group of youth without ASD, the group of youth with ASD would demonstrate equally strong verbal and nonverbal intellectual abilities with relatively poorer processing speed, poorer adaptive functioning skills, more psychosocial/behavior concerns, and poorer social skills. Data from 81 school-age youth who had been identified as intellectually gifted were included in the present study. Forty of the participants in this study met DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for ASD; the remaining 41 participants did not meet diagnostic criteria for an Axis I or Axis II psychological disorder. Statistical analyses included independent-samples t tests and split-plot analyses. Results of the current study demonstrate that statistically significant differences exist between gifted youth with and without ASD in the areas of processing speed, adaptive functioning, psychosocial/behavioral functioning, and social skills, despite equivalent verbal and nonverbal intellectual functioning. The current study is unique in that it is the first to examine these domains of functioning and make empirical comparisons of characteristics among gifted individuals with ASD using a group study design. Importantly, this study has significant implications for diagnosis of ASD and will provide an empirical foundation upon which to develop effective classroom interventions to best meet the unique needs of this twice-exceptional population.
Word learning depends on attention – children must focus on the right things at the right times. However, autistic children often display restricted interests, limiting their intake of stimuli during word learning. This study investigates how category interests influence word learning in autism and neurotypical development. Autistic and neurotypical children matched on receptive vocabulary used a touch-screen computer to learn novel words associated with animals (high-interest stimuli) and objects (neutral-interest stimuli) via fast mapping. Response accuracy and speed were examined at referent selection, 5-minute retention, and 24-hour retention. Both groups identified meanings of novel words associated with unfamiliar animals and objects via mutual exclusivity with comparable accuracy. After 5 minutes, autistic children retained animal names with greater accuracy than neurotypical children. Autistic children showed a greater increase in their accuracy between 5-minute and 24-hour retention and outperformed neurotypical children across conditions after a night’s sleep. Across groups, 24-hour retention was predicted by number of target word repetitions heard at referent selection, indicating a relationship between fast mapping input and retention. However, autistic children were slower to respond correctly, particularly in the animal condition. For autistic children, superior word learning associated with high-interest stimuli was relatively short-term, as sleep appeared to consolidate their memory representations for neutral-interest stimuli. Although these results demonstrate that fundamental word learning mechanisms are not atypical in autism, slower response times may signal a speed-accuracy trade-off that could have implications for naturalistic language acquisition. Our findings also indicate favourable environmental conditions to scaffold word learning.
The Classification and Statistical Manual of Extrasensory Experiences (CSM-EE) is a classification of extrasensory experiences (i.e. telepathy, clairvoyance, mediumship, precognition, synchronistic events, etc.) with associated criteria designed to facilitate more reliable classification. CSM-EE assists in identifying like experiences that are similar in phenomenology, but otherwise widely differ in narrative due to culture, language, and religious/spiritual belief.
Whereby, the CSM-EE can assist in accurate classification and is therefore a valuable resource for clinicians and students, and a valuable reference for researchers, dealing with extrasensory experiences in a wide diversity of context.
The criteria and associated phenomenological features and specifiers serve in part as a textbook for students who require a well-structured method to understand and classify extrasensory experiences as well as for experienced professionals encountering these experiences for the first time.
Clinical Parapsychology: Extrasensory Exceptional Experiences, 1st Edition is a graduate-level textbook designed to facilitate more reliable diagnosis, classification, treatment, and research. It is designed for clinicians, educators, and researchers challenged with investigating into the nature of distressing extrasensory (psychic) exceptional experiences.
This textbook assists in interpreting extrasensory experiences reported in a wide diversity of context that are often viewed as religious, spiritual, anomalous, or transpersonal, and that vary greatly in subjective experience. This textbook is a valuable resource for both students and experienced professionals and is designed to be utilized by both individuals and educational institutions.
Lay abstract:
Previous research has suggested that focusing on impairments can be detrimental to the well-being of autistic individuals, yet little research has focused on strengths and positive qualities in autism. Some studies explored "savant skills" (herein referred to as "extraordinary talents"), that is, skills that stand out compared to the general population. These often group everyone who has a specific talent, rather than exploring subgroups with strengths in specific areas. There has been even less research focused on personal strengths (i.e. skills that stand out relative to the individual's other abilities, but not the general population). To expand this research, we use a sample of 1470 children (ages 4-18 years) from the Simons Simplex Collection without cognitive impairment to examine the relationship between having a parent-reported skill in a specific area and performance on a standardized cognitive test. Almost half (46%) had at least one parent-reported talent and an additional 23% without extraordinary talents had at least one personal strength. Children with these parent-reported skills had different patterns of performance on these standardized tests than children without skills in that area (i.e. visuospatial, drawing, computation, reading, and memory). Specific skills in computation or reading were associated with higher overall performance on the standardized tests. These results emphasize the importance of considering strengths separately by area, rather than combining individuals with different types of strengths. The high number of children with skills in this study underscores the need for more research in this area, particularly using instruments focused on understanding the nuances of these strengths. It is important for future studies to consider these skills in children with cognitive impairment.
The current study is the first detailed report on a savant case in Turkey. We collected data
from a 25-year-old-male savant on attention span, short-term memory, working memory,
autobiographical memory, overall intelligence, reading speed, text interpretation, and
advanced calendar calculation. Data collection tools included the Test of Nonverbal
Intelligence (4th edition), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, Stanford-Binet 5
Working Memory Test and Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices for assessing general
intellectual functioning; the Verbal Short-Term Memory Test for assessing memory
assessment; d2 for assessing attention; a structured reading text; family interview
protocols; and an individual interview protocol. The savant has a composite intellectual
level of 85 and was recently diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder when he
was 25 years old. He evidenced limited attention span but excellent short-term memory,
working memory, autobiographical memory and calendar calculation.
Cambridge Core - Psychiatry - Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders - edited by Fred R. Volkmar
How do individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) think and understand the world around them? Twenty years ago, when Margot Prior and Sally Ozonoff wrote the first version of the present chapter, a great deal of autism research was built on the effort to define the “cognitive style” at the foundation of the various manifestations of ASD, using models and methods from psychological disciplines. Research generated by Human Information Processing frameworks in those years guided the search for a parsimonious “primary cognitive deficit” account of ASD, resulting in a number of proposals on the cognitive domain primarily affected in individuals with ASD.
However, rather than providing unequivocal support for one competing model or the other, research in the following two decades resulted in a growing disenchantment with cognitive accounts of ASD. The hypothesis of a “modular” cognitive atypicality as a necessary and sufficient cause of the diverse behavioral manifestations of ASD was challenged by findings that the early manifestations of ASD in infants appear to be domain-general rather than domain-specific (Johnson 2014), as well as by the variable performance in behavioral indices of the putative “primary deficits” (Pellicano 2010). This body of literature called into question the specificity, causal role, and universality of each hypothesized “primary” cognitive deficit. Additionally, single deficit accounts of ASD appeared to be increasingly dissatisfying in the context of neuroscientific and biological research ruling out “single gene” and “focal brain lesion” causal models of ASD in favor of multifactorial explanatory frameworks (Yoder and Belmonte 2011).
Additional challenges to cognitive models emerged from research evidence that emphasized the developmental nature of ASD and suggested iterative and bidirectional, rather than unidirectional, causal relationships between atypical cognition and manifestations of ASD (Oliver et al. 2000; Pennington 2014). For example, it is plausible that a reduced repertoire of social behaviors during early development will constrain engagement in social experiences that are foundational for “typical” social cognitive development– the resulting “atypical” social cognition will, in turn, limit the future ability to participate in further social experiences, thus exacerbating deviations from “normality” (Vivanti et al., 2017b). The notion of an iterative cycle linking altered history of engagement with the social world to altered social information processing appears to be inconsistent with models positing a “static” cognitive style as the cause of ASD behavioral manifestations across the lifespan.
Therefore, the literature accumulated during the decades between the first and the current edition of this chapter has pointed to the need of moving beyond “primary deficit” models of ASD cognition, and contributed a wealth of knowledge on developmental patterns, heterogeneity across levels of analyses, and biological underpinnings of psychological processes in ASD. In this chapter, we will summarize this literature and provide an overview of current knowledge on psychological factors that shape and are shaped by the development of ASD.
In 1988, the movie Rain Man made its debut in cinemas across the world. This movie raised the public’s awareness of autistic people including some of their strengths and common challenges. Rain Man also led many people to associate autism with savant abilities. This chapter begins with an introduction and history of savant syndrome, before discussing some of the ways that public attention on fictional and real-life autistic savants has contributed to the myth that all autistic people are savants. This is followed by an examination of the research on prevalence of savant abilities in the autistic population and of the cognitive differences, including strengths and difficulties, exhibited by autistic children and adults. The continued impact that the savant myth has on stereotyping and categorising autistic individuals will be examined and recommendations made for moving from a classification-based to an individual-based approach to supporting all autistic individuals to achieve their potential. The chapter will conclude with a discussion of the ways the savant myth can be transformed by changing the public representation, perception and engagement with autistic individuals of all abilities and needs.
A registry has been established to document certain characteristics on a sizeable worldwide sample of individuals with savant syndrome, a rare but remarkable condition in which persons with developmental disabilities, brain injury, or brain disease have some spectacular “islands” of skill or ability that stand in jarring, marked contrast to overall handicap. Of the 319 savants included in the registry, 90% are congenital savants, while 10% are acquired savants. The registry includes individuals from 33 countries, with 70% from the United States or Canada. Sex distribution was 79% male vs 21% female (4:1). This report summarizes the findings in the congenital savant syndrome category of the registry. Among the individuals with congenital savant syndrome, the most common underlying disability was Autistic Spectrum Disorder (75%); various other central nervous system (CNS) disorders were present in the other 25%. Fifty-five percent possessed a single special skill, while 45% had multiple skills. Music was the most frequent principal skill followed by art, memory, mathematics, calendar calculating, language, visual-spatial/mechanical, athletic, computer, extrasensory perception, and other skills.
Though music educators work with students who have a special learning need or a gifted ability on a daily basis, encountering a student who has both can be unexpected. The literature presented here can be used as a basis for information pertaining to terminology, studies and theories that attempt to explain the savant syndrome, how to identify it, and what factors are important in ensuring they are successful in the music classroom. Articles were obtained using scholarly databases. Factual information about the syndrome is readily agreed on, but why and how the syndrome happens is still a matter of debate. Some successful teaching methods have been replicated in multiple studies, yet the research in this area is still evolving. Nevertheless, these resources create a stepping-stone that the music educator can use to supplement his or her knowledge of working with savant students.
Forschungsleistung der deutschen Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie 2003–2008
Autistic individuals typically excel on spatial tests that measure abstract reasoning, such as the Block Design subtest on intelligence test batteries and the Raven's Progressive Matrices nonverbal test of intelligence. Such well-replicated findings suggest that abstract spatial processing is a relative and perhaps absolute strength of autistic individuals. However, previous studies have not systematically varied reasoning level - concrete vs. abstract - and test domain - spatial vs. numerical vs. verbal, which the current study did. Autistic participants (N = 72) and non-autistic participants (N = 72) completed a battery of 12 tests that varied by reasoning level (concrete vs. abstract) and domain (spatial vs. numerical vs. verbal). Autistic participants outperformed non-autistic participants on abstract spatial tests. Non-autistic participants did not outperform autistic participants on any of the three domains (spatial, numerical, and verbal) or at either of the two reasoning levels (concrete and abstract), suggesting similarity in abilities between autistic and non-autistic individuals, with abstract spatial reasoning as an autistic strength.
Parents of 125 children, adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders completed a newly developed questionnaire aimed at identifying cognitive and behavioural characteristics associated with savant skills in this group. Factors distinguishing skilled individuals were then further investigated in case studies of three individuals with exceptional skills for music, art and mathematics. The findings from the case studies largely confirmed the results from the questionnaire study in showing that special skills are associated with superior working memory and highly focused attention that is not associated with increased obsessesionality. Although intellectual impairment and a local bias have been widely associated with special skills in the savant literature, neither the screening nor case studies provided strong evidence for such associations.
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often display impairments in creativity, yet savant artists with ASD are reported to produce highly novel and original artistic outputs. To explore this paradox, we assessed nine savant artists with ASD, nine talented art students, nine non-artistically talented individuals with ASD, and nine individuals with mild/moderate learning difficulties (MLD) on tasks in and out of their domain of expertise. This was to ascertain whether the performance of the savant artists was related to their artistic ability, their diagnosis of ASD or their level of intellectual functioning. Results demonstrated that the responses of the art students were more creative (as assessed on measures of fluency, originality, elaboration, and flexibility) than the savant, ASD, and MLD groups on a drawing task. Although the savants did produce more elaborative responses than the ASD and MLD groups, no differences were observed on the other indices of creativity. On a non-drawing task, the savants produced more original outputs than the ASD and MLD groups (scoring similarly to the art students), but group differences were not observed on the other measures.
Performance patterns on verbal subtests from the WISC-IV were compared between a clinically-referred sample of children with either autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children with ASD demonstrated a statistically significant stepwise pattern where performance on Similarities was best, followed by Vocabulary, then Comprehension. Although children with ASD and ADHD share multiple behavioral features, this pattern was not observed for those with ADHD. Greater deficits in social reasoning and verbal formulation for children with ASD (compared to ADHD) are hypothesized to account for this observed difference in their performance pattern. Clinical implications, including use of this identified pattern in combination with other symptoms suggestive of ASD in referral decision making are discussed.
Zusammenfassung: 92 ambulante und stationare kinder- und jugendpsychiatrische Einrichtungen aus dem gesamten Bundesgebiet wurden zu deren Handhabe und Einschatzung testpsychologischer Verfahren befragt. Ein an die leitenden Psychologen gerichteter Fragebogen enthielt 15 offene und geschlossene Items. Alle antwortenden Kliniken verfugten uber Tests und setzten diese auch in der Diagnostik ein. Zirka die Halfte der Einrichtungen berichtete daruber hinausgehend uber den obligaten Einsatz bestimmter Einzelverfahren. In einem Drittel der Kliniken erfolgte der Einsatz von Eigenentwicklungen, wobei nur ein kleinerer Teil dieser Tests auch evaluiert und publiziert wurde. Auch die Frage nach der Verwendung computerunterstutzter Tests wurde von etwa einem Drittel der Befragten bejaht. Testkompendien, Fachzeitschriften, das Internet oder Kollegen werden verbreitet konsultiert, um sich uber psychometrische Verfahren zu informieren. Am haufigsten wurde der Einsatz von Intelligenztests berichtet. Dagegen werden struktu...
The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule—Generic (ADOS-G) is a semistructured, standardized assessment of social interaction, communication, play, and imaginative use of materials for individuals suspected of having autism spectrum disorders. The observational schedule consists of four 30-minute modules, each designed to be administered to different individuals according to their level of expressive language. Psychometric data are presented for 223 children and adults with Autistic Disorder (autism), Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDDNOS) or nonspectrum diagnoses. Within each module, diagnostic groups were equivalent on expressive language level. Results indicate substantial interrater and test—retest reliability for individual items, excellent interrater reliability within domains and excellent internal consistency. Comparisons of means indicated consistent differentiation of autism and PDDNOS from nonspectrum individuals, with some, but less consistent, differentiation of autism from PDDNOS. A priori operationalization of DSM-IV/ICD-10 criteria, factor analyses, and ROC curves were used to generate diagnostic algorithms with thresholds set for autism and broader autism spectrum/PDD. Algorithm sensitivities and specificities for autism and PDDNOS relative to nonspectrum disorders were excellent, with moderate differentiation of autism from PDDNOS.
In this review, we aim to bring together major trends in autism research at three levels: biology, behaviour and cognition. We propose that cognitive theories are vital in neuropsychology, which seeks to make connections between brain abnormality and behavioural symptoms. Research at each of the three levels is incomplete, but important advances have been made. At the biological level, there is strong evidence for genetic factors, although the mechanism is, as yet, unknown. At the behavioural level, diagnosis and education are becoming more coherent and less controversial, although the possibility of autism subtypes has provoked new debate. At the cognitive level, three major theories are proving fruitful (mentalizing impairment, executive dysfunction and weak central coherence), although the relation and overlap between these is uncertain. Rapidly advancing technology and methodology (e.g. brain imaging, gene mapping), as tools of cognitive theory, may help to make autism one of the first developmental disorders to be understood at the neuropsychological level.
Occasionally, people with developmental disability display skills at a level inconsistent with their general intellectual functioning, so-called "savant" behavior. Studies of savant behavior are reviewed to determine their relevance to notions about the importance of general intellective functions in the development of exceptional skill. It is concluded that (a) the skill exhibited by savants shares many characteristics with that in people without disability, (b) the skill is usually accompanied by normative levels of performance on at least some subtests of standardized measures of cognitive achievement, and (c) it is unclear whether savants have distinctive cognitive strengths or motivational dispositions, though their relative prevalence among people with certain kinds of disability suggests predisposing constraints. The author proposes that these skills typically reflect highly elaborated preconceptual representational systems.
Savant calendar calculators can supply with speed the day of the week of a given date. Although memory is suggested to be an important component of this unusual ability, memory function has never been systematically investigated in these skilled yet learning impaired individuals.
Eight savant calendrical calculators, most of whom had autism, were compared with eight verbal IQ, age and diagnosis matched controls on digit and word span tests and measures of long-term memory for words and calendrical information (individual years). In an analogue to the 'generation effect', the savants' memory for dates was also compared following calculation and study/read tasks.
The savants did not differ from controls on measures of general short- and long-term memory. They did, however, show a clear recall superiority for the long-term retention of calendrical material. They also remembered calculated dates better than those that were only studied.
A general mnemonic advantage cannot explain savant date calculation skills. Rather, through exposure to date information, the savants are suggested to develop a structured calendar-related knowledge base with the process of calculation utilizing the interrelations within this knowledge store. The cognitive processing style characteristic of autism may also play a role in the acquisition of this savant ability.
There is some uncertainty about the rate and correlates of autism.
Twenty-three epidemiological surveys of autism published in the English language between 1966 and 1998 were reviewed.
Over 4 million subjects were surveyed; 1533 subjects with autism were identified. The methodological characteristics of each study are summarized, including case definition, case-finding procedures, participation rates and precision achieved. Across surveys, the median prevalence estimate was 5.2/10000. Half the surveys had 95% confidence intervals consistent with population estimates of 5.4-5.5/10000. Prevalence rates significantly increased with publication year, reflecting changes in case definition and improved recognition; the median rate was 7.2/10 000 for 11 surveys conducted since 1989. The average male/female ratio was 3.8:1, varying according to the absence or presence of mental retardation. Intellectual functioning within the normal range was reported in about 20% of subjects. On average, medical conditions of potential causal significance were found in 6% of subjects with autism, with tuberous sclerosis having a consistently strong association with autism. Social class and immigrant status did not appear to be associated with autism. There was no evidence for a secular increase in the incidence of autism. In eight surveys, rates for other forms of pervasive developmental disorders were two to three times higher than the rate for autism.
Based on recent surveys, a minimum estimate of 18.7/10000 for all forms of pervasive developmental disorders was derived, which outlines the needs in special services for a large group of children.
Prevalence rates of autism-spectrum disorders are uncertain, and speculation that their incidence is increasing continues to cause concern.
To estimate the prevalence of pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) in a geographically defined population of preschool children.
Survey conducted July 1998 to June 1999 in Staffordshire, England. The area's 15 500 children aged 2.5 to 6.5 years were screened for developmental problems. Children with symptoms suggestive of a PDD were intensively assessed by a multidisciplinary team, which conducted standardized diagnostic interviews and administered psychometric tests.
Prevalence estimates for subtypes of PDDs.
A total of 97 children (79.4% male) were confirmed to have a PDD. The prevalence of PDDs was estimated to be 62.6 (95% confidence interval, 50.8-76.3) per 10 000 children. Prevalences were 16.8 per 10 000 for autistic disorder and 45.8 per 10 000 for other PDDs. The mean age at diagnosis was 41 months, and 81% were originally referred by health visitors (nurse specialists). Of the 97 children with a PDD, 25.8% had some degree of mental retardation and 9.3% had an associated medical condition.
Our results suggest that rates of PDD are higher than previously reported. Methodological limitations in existing epidemiological investigations preclude interpretation of recent high rates as indicative of increased incidence of these disorders although this hypothesis requires further rigorous testing. Attention is nevertheless drawn to the important needs of a substantial minority of preschool children.
Since autism was first recognized as a disorder in 1943, speculation about its aetiology has ranged from biological to psychological and back again. After twin studies during the 1970s and 1980s yielded unequivocal evidence for a genetic component, aetiological research in autism began to focus primarily on uncovering the genetic mechanisms involved. The identification of chromosomal abnormalities and Mendelian syndromes among individuals with autism, in conjunction with data from genome screens and candidate-gene studies, has helped to refine the view of the complex genetics that underlies autism spectrum conditions.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether performance on a standard cognitive test-battery can be used to clearly separate higher functioning autism from schizophrenia. Revised Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R) or Adults (WAIS-R) profiles of 20 autistic and 20 schizophrenic adolescent young adult subjects matched for age, sex, and IQ level were contrasted. On average, autistic individuals had higher values on the subtest "Similarities," while schizophrenic participants scored better on "Comprehension." Discriminant analysis showed that a prognosis of the psychiatric classification can be made with 82.5% accuracy if all subscale data are considered. Even though this finding probably has limited merit for making judgements in clinical practice, it might be of exploratory value in the pursuit of differentiating autism and schizophrenia on a cognitive level.
Scattered throughout the normal population are people who display highly developed special mental skills. We are surprised and awed when this occurs. When it occurs in children, we have coined a phrase to describe such individuals: the child prodigy. We know very little about prodigies (e.g., incidence rate, sex ratios). When prodigious abilities occur in individuals who have not developed normally (the developmentally disabled), we employ a rather derogatory misnomer: the idiot savant. Most of the otherwise mentally handicapped individuals who have developed special skills are not so disabled that the term idiot would be applicable, even in its once legitimate usage to mean the most profoundly retarded. In our own usage we shall omit the term idiot, and simply use savant, which is not appropriate either, but serves as a compromise with tradition.
Introduction Reviewing psychological factors in autism presents a major challenge, given the vast amount of research that has accumulated over the past 50 years. In that time we have moved from largely speculative notions of what underlies the puzzling set of symptoms that children with autism present to us (Kanner, 1943) to a comprehensive knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses in a broad range of psychological domains. Our understanding of psychological factors has informed increasingly well-designed and productive approaches to the education and treatment of children with autism, so that theory and practice can build on each other in a synergistic way. This review of psychological aspects of autism is divided into sections covering the major domains of perception, cognition, affect, language, social behaviors, and neuropsychological factors. One important issue that needs to be kept in mind concerns the powerful and pervasive influence of level of functioning on the symptoms, behaviors, and capabilities of children with autism. Low- and high-functioning children with autism are both similar in their core deficits, and very different in their adaptive level, and this makes some of our conclusions about psychological factors rather qualified. While the central social and communicative deficits may be common, there are clear differences in levels and profiles of abilities across the range of severity of autistic conditions; these differences affect adaptive behavior as well as intervention opportunities and outcome in later life.
Naming the days of the week for dates in the past and future is a rare talent observed in people with low measured intelligence. The talent and other savant skills are more common in the autistic population, suggesting features of autistic cognition such as obsessive preoccupation and weak central coherence may facilitate development of savant skills. This study describes the date calculation skills and performance on other calendar tasks by 10 calendrical savants whose WAIS IQs range from 50 to 97. Their Block Design scores were unexceptional, contrary to the weak central coherence explanation. Accuracy in date calculation and knowledge of calendrical regularities correlated with full scale IQ, indicating that the talent depends on intelligence. Accuracy, range and latency of date calculation and latency for other calendrical tasks showed marked associations with Digit Symbol subscale scores.
Of 5,400 autistic children from the US and 39 other countries, 531 were classified as idiot savants. Preliminary findings from correspondence with parents yielded savant characteristic data for 119 Ss: Special musical and memory abilities were the most common. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Earlier investigations have found mixed evidence of working memory impairment in autism. The present study examined working memory in a high-functioning autistic sample, relative to both a clinical control group diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome and a typically developing control group. No group differences were found across three tasks and five dependent measures of working memory. Performance was significantly correlated with both age and IQ. It is concluded that working memory is not one of the executive functions that is seriously impaired in autism. We also suggest that the format of administration of working memory tasks may be important in determining whether or not performance falls in the impaired range.
Advisor: Martin Sharp. Paper (M. Ed.)--Pennsylvania State University, Great Valley, 1995.
Escrito por el psiquiatra que fuera consultor de la película Rain Man (Cuando los hermanos se encuentran), en este libro se documentan casos del síndrome savant, recogidos en más de 35 años de experiencia. A través de ellos, da a conocer las condiciones particulares de las personas que lo sufren y estudia el funcionamiento de sus cerebros.
Based on the replies to a survey of 300 public residential facilities for the mentally retarded, an incidence rate for idiot savants was established. This rate of .06% is based on the reporting of 54 idiot savants within a population of 90,000 residents. Several reasons for caution in the acceptance of this incidence rate are discussed.
SYNOPSIS
The question was asked whether a diagnosis of autism or a tendency to repetitive behaviour and preoccupation with a restricted area of interest, were crucial features of idiot-savant talents. Answers by caretakers to a questionnaire on these topics revealed that autistic and non-autistic savants resembled each other closely in preoccupation but differed from controls matched for IQ and diagnosis. In addition, the mentally handicapped showed fewer repetitive tendencies than did autistic controls. It is concluded that independent of diagnosis, preoccupations and repetitive behaviour appear to be closely associated with the manifestation of idiot-savant talents.
Since it was first described a century ago, the phenomenon of the idiot savant--the juxtaposition of severe mental handicap and prodigious mental ability--has remained unexplained. The author defines the condition, reviews and summarizes the world literature on this topic since the early reports, describes more recent cases, and catalogs and categorizes idiot savant abilities. Theories to explain the condition are reviewed, newer research findings are highlighted, and the far-reaching implications of the idiot savant syndrome for understanding normal brain function, particularly memory, are outlined.
Synopsis
The three experiments described aimed to establish whether the achievements of idiot savant calendrical calculators were based solely on rote memory and arithmetical procedures, or whether these subjects also used rule-based strategies. It was found that, although different structural calendar regularities were tested by using differing experimental paradigms, all subjects could at least use some of the rules under investigation. The more cognitively able subjects could make use of all the three structural regularities of the calendar tested here. It was concluded that idiot savant calendrical calculators can use rule-based strategies to aid them in the calculation of the days on which past and future dates fall.
The forward digit span (as scored on the Wechsler Scales) of a group of idiots savants (mean IQ=48) was compared with the digit span of educable mentally retarded subjects (mean IQ=65) who displayed no outstanding abilities, and also with the digit span of nonretarded subjects. Despite the relatively low IQ scores of the idiots savants, their mean digit span was significantly longer than the mean digit span of the other retarded subjects, and not significantly different from the mean digit span of nonretarded subjects.
The authors present a further account of twins, classifiable as idiots savants, whose ability to name the day of the week for a given date in any year, and the converse, has led to conjecture on the mechanism by which they perform the feat. Their method is explained as the ability to subtract multiples of a 400-year calendar cycle from any given year.
This study describes two experiments which investigate pattern construction by graphically gifted, autistic savants. We explore whether the notion of weak central coherence in autism might be extended to account for the relatively high frequency of savants among the autistic population. We also suggest that an awareness of constituent segments in wholes may be relevant to artistic talent in general.
Describes the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), a revision of the Autism Diagnostic Interview, a semistructured, investigator-based interview for caregivers of children and adults for whom autism or pervasive developmental disorders is a possible diagnosis. The revised interview has been reorganized, shortened, modified to be appropriate for children with mental ages from about 18 months into adulthood and linked to ICD-10 and DSM-IV criteria. Psychometric data are presented for a sample of preschool children.
Synopsis
Savant artists represent a conundrum to our understanding of the nature of high level specific talents as well as to the concept of general intellectual impairment. In the present paper, we are particularly concerned with the relationship between general perceptual-motor functions in relation to drawing aptitude. Drawing is by definition a perceptual-motor operation, yet mental handicap tends to be associated with some degree of impairment in this area. The following study seeks to isolate such aspects of performance on general perceptual-motor skills that might be associated with drawing ability, and may thus be regarded as building blocks underlying the manifestation of graphic talent. The results are discussed in terms of the relationships between graphic talent, non-verbal intelligence and visual-motor functions.
Systematic variations of the block design task were given to 20 autistic, 33 normal and 12 mildly retarded subjects. Designs were contrasted which were either "whole" or segmented, rotated or unrotated, and which did or did not contain obliques. Only segmentation, but neither of the spatial orientation factors, revealed a significant group difference. Autistic subjects, regardless of age and ability, performed better than controls when presented with unsegmented designs. This result suggests that they need less of the normally required effort to segment a gestalt, and thus supports the hypothesis of weak central coherence as a characteristic of information processing in autism.
The feasibility and reliability of the German form of the revised parental interview to diagnose autism (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, ADI-R) was investigated in this study. Brief examples of the description of formerly and currently used diagnostic guidelines are given and the outline of the interview algorithm which establishes thresholds for inclusion criteria. An excellent-to-good reliability could be demonstrated for the main symptoms according to the classification rules of the ICD-10 and DSM-IV for a sample of autistic subjects at different ages and intellectual levels. The results approve the use of this interview for research and clinical purposes.
WISC factor structure, the specificity of WISC factors, and diagnostic correlates of WISC profiles were studied to investigate the contribution of WISC profile analysis to child psychiatric diagnosis.
The fit of various factor models was tested and differences between various clinical groups regarding three WISC patterns were studied, using the WISC-RN (the Dutch version of the WISC-R) scores of a group of 465 Dutch children (mean age 11.2 years) referred to a psychiatric clinic.
The traditional factor models were replicated in this study. However, most of the variance in the factors could be explained by an underlying factor, "general intelligence," suggesting that WISC factors measure specific cognitive abilities only to a limited degree. Another important finding is that the various DSM-III-R and Child Behavior Checklist diagnoses could not be distinguished on the basis of WISC profiles.
The data demonstrate that the relationship between WISC factors and specific cognitive abilities and neuropsychological functions needs further clarification in order to improve the validity of the traditional use of WISC profiles as a source of diagnostic information.
Unlike the ability to acquire our native language, we struggle to learn multiplication and division. It may then come as a surprise that the mental machinery for performing lightning-fast integer arithmetic calculations could be within us all even though it cannot be readily accessed, nor do we have any idea of its primary function. We are led to this provocative hypothesis by analysing the extraordinary skills of autistic savants. In our view such individuals have privileged access to lower levels of information not normally available through introspection.
The executive dysfunction hypothesis of autism has received support from most studies of older people with autism; however, studies of young children have produced mixed results. Two studies are presented that compare the performance of preschoolers with autism (mean = 51 months/4.3 years of age) to a control group matched on age, and verbal and nonverbal ability. The first study (n = 18 autism and 17 control) found no group differences in performance on 8 executive function tasks (A not B, Object Retrieval, A not B with Invisible Displacement, 3-Boxes Stationary and Scrambled, 6-Boxes Stationary and Scrambled, and Spatial Reversal), but did find that children with autism initiated fewer joint attention and social interaction behaviors. The second (longitudinal) study of a subset of the children (n = 13 autism and 11 control) from the first study found that neither groups' performance on Spatial Reversal changed significantly over the course of a year. The results of these studies pose a serious challenge to the executive dysfunction hypothesis of autism.
The general incidence of Savant Syndrome was assessed in Finland. First, a survey was made of all 583 facilities which served people with mental retardation. Second, letters asking for information regarding people with Savant Syndrome were published in two key Finnish journals of the field. We received reports of 45 cases of Savant Syndrome. This makes an incidence rate of 1.4 per 1,000 people with mental retardation. The most common form of exceptional skills was calendar calculation, followed by feats of memory.
Executive functioning was investigated in 34 children (24 boys and 10 girls) with developmental language disorder (DLD) and 21 children (18 boys and 3 girls) with high-functioning autistic disorder (HAD) matched on Full Scale IQ, Nonverbal IQ, age (mean age 9 year, 1 month), and SES. The DLD group had a Verbal IQ that was 10 points higher than the HAD group. These children were given the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Mazes subtest from the WISC-R, the Underlining test, and the Rapid Automatized Naming test. In addition, these children were given the Vineland Scales of Adaptive Functioning and the Wing Diagnostic Symptom Checklist in order to assess severity of autistic symptomatology. Results indicated that the only significant difference between the two groups on the cognitive tasks was perseverative errors on the WCST; there was no significant difference on total number of categories achieved or total number of errors on the WCST or on the other executive function measures. There was also significant overlap in the scores between the two groups and the difference in perseverative errors was no longer significant when Verbal IQ was partialled out. Executive functioning was strongly related to all IQ variables in the DLD group and particularly related to Verbal IQ in the HAD group. Although there was a relationship in the HAD group between executive functioning and adaptive functioning, as well as between executive functioning and autistic symptomatology, these relationships were generally no longer significant in the HAD group after the variance due to Verbal IQ was accounted for. The results are interpreted to indicate that although impaired executive functioning is a commonly associated feature of autism, it is not universal in autism and is unlikely to cause autistic behaviors or deficits in adaptive function.
To review systematically the empirical evidence for the involvement of genetic risk factors in infantile autism. Method: We aimed at including all relevant papers written in English. We conducted a Medline search in September 2000. In addition we searched the reference lists of related papers.
A relatively small number of reports including family and twin studies, comorbidity, cytogenetic and molecular genetic studies were reviewed.
As well family, twin, cytogenetic and molecular genetic studies supported the importance of genetic risk factors in infantile autism. In most individual cases probably at least a few gene variants simultaneously determine the genetic risk. Presently the most interesting chromosome regions concerning the aetiology of autism are chromosomes 7q31-35, 15q11-13 and 16p13.3 which have been suggested by different lines of genetic research.
Beobachtungsskala fü Autistische Stö (ADOS)
- D Rü
- S Bö
- S Feineis-Matthews
- F Poustka
Rü, D., Bö, S., Feineis-Matthews, S., & Poustka, F. (2004). Beobachtungsskala fü Autistische Stö (ADOS). Bern: Huber.
The abilities of man: Their nature and measurement The digit span of idiots savants
- C Spearman
Spearman, C. (1927). The abilities of man: Their nature and measurement. London: Macmillan. Spitz, H., & LaFontaine, L. (1973). The digit span of idiots savants. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 77, 757 – 759.
Statistische Prüfverfahren zur Beurteilung von Testprofilen
- W Kristof
Kristof, W. (1958). Statistische Prüfverfahren zur Beurteilung von Testprofilen. Zeitschrift für Experimentelle und Angewandte Psychologie, 5, 520.
Autismus Diagnostisches Interview—Revision Nadia: A case of extraordinary drawing ability in an autistic child
- G Schmö
- D Rü
- G Thies
- F Poustka
Schmö, G., Rü, D., Thies, G., & Poustka, F. (1993). Autismus Diagnostisches Interview—Revision. Frankfurt/M.: J.W. Goethe-University Frankfurt/M. Selfe, L. (1977). Nadia: A case of extraordinary drawing ability in an autistic child. London: Academic Press.
r p and other coefficients of pattern similarity Pervasive developmental disorders in preschool children
- R B Cattell
- S Chakrabarti
- E Fombonne
Cattell, R. B. (1949). r p and other coefficients of pattern similarity. Psychometrics, 14, 279. Chakrabarti, S., & Fombonne, E. (2001). Pervasive developmental disorders in preschool children. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285, 3093 – 3099.
Neuropsychological characteristics of calendar calculating savants with pervasive developmental disorders
- J Rumsey
- G Mannheim
- T Aquino
- C Gordon
- E Hibbs
Rumsey, J., Mannheim, G., Aquino, T., Gordon, C., & Hibbs, E. (1992). Neuropsychological characteristics of calendar
calculating savants with pervasive developmental disorders. Clinical Neuropsychologist, 6, 320.
Memory in the calendar calculating savant
- L J Heavy
Heavy, L. J. (1997). Memory in the calendar calculating savant. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Goldsmiths College
University of London, United Kingdom.