Authors
Goldstein G, Minshew NJ, Siegel DJ.
Institution
Highland Drive VA Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA.
Title
Age differences in academic achievement in high-functioning autistic
individuals.
Source
J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 1994 Oct;16(5):671-80
Abstract
A battery of psychoeducational tests was administered to samples of
high-functioning (IQ > 70) autistic subjects and normal controls. A previous
psychoeducational study indicated the presence of preserved procedural and
mechanical academic skills accompanied by impaired comprehension and interpretive
skills in high-functioning autistic individuals. The present findings indicate
that this psychoeducational pattern also has a developmental aspect. Younger
(< 13 years) autistic subjects performed as well or better than younger
controls on psychoeducational measures of mechanical and procedural skills,
and on some complex, interpretive tasks. However, they performed more poorly
than controls on tasks that involve following complex linguistic instructions.
Younger autistic subjects and controls did not differ significantly from
each other on interpretive tasks, while the older austic subjects did significantly
more poorly than the older controls on such tasks. The findings are discussed
in terms of early success, but subsequent decline, in the course of academic
functioning in autism.