Journal
BRAIN AND COGNITION
Volume 71, Issue 3, Pages 362-368Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2009.06.007
Keywords
Autism; Asperger syndrome; Autistic spectrum disorder; Executive functions; Development; Children; Mental flexibility; Planning; Inhibition; Generativity
Categories
Funding
- Economic and Social Research Council (UK) [RES-062-23-0197]
- Economic and Social Research Council [ES/E004954/1] Funding Source: researchfish
- ESRC [ES/E004954/1] Funding Source: UKRI
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Executive dysfunction is a characteristic impairment of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However whether such deficits are related to autism per se, or to associated intellectual disability is unclear. This paper examines executive functions in a group of children with ASD (N = 54, all IQ >= 70) in relation to a typically developing control group individually matched on the basis of age, gender, IQ and vocabulary. Significant impairments in the inhibition of prepotent responses (Stroop, junior Hayling Test) and planning (Tower of London) were reported for children with ASD, with preserved performance for mental flexibility (Wisconsin Card Sorting Task) and generativity (Verbal Fluency). Atypical age-related patterns of performance were reported on tasks tapping response inhibition and self-monitoring for children with ASD compared to controls. The disparity between these and previous research findings are discussed. A multidimensional notion of executive functions is proposed, with difficulties in planning, the inhibition of prepotent responses and self-monitoring reflecting characteristic features of ASD that are independent of IQ and verbal ability, and relatively stable across the childhood years. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available