Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Brief Report: Cognitive Performance in Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome: What are the Differences?

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders include autistic and Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), often studied in terms of executive functions (EF), with controversial results. Using Planning Attention Simultaneous Successive theory (PASS; Das et al. in Assessment of cognitive processes: the PASS theory of intelligence. Allyn and Bacon, Boston, MA, 1994), this research compares the cognitive profiles obtained by the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS; Naglieri and Das in Cognitive assessment system. Riverside, Itasca, IL, 1997) of 15 subjects with typical development, 18 with autistic disorder and 20 with AS. Results highlight lower profiles for children with autistic and AS compared with typical development and even lower Planning and Attention processes for the group with autistic disorders than that with Asperger’s. Subjects with Asperger’s diagnosis do not differ from those with typical development as regards Simultaneous and Successive processes. Results are discussed in the light of current studies about EF.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

References

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2000). DSM-IV-TR: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2012). DSM V development: Autistic disorder. Retrieved October 2012 from http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=94.

  • Aron, A. R. (2008). Progress in executive-function research. From tasks to functions to regions to networks. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17(2), 124–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauman, M. L., & Kemper, T. L. (2005). Neuroanatomic observations of the brain in autism: A review and future directions. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 23, 183–187. doi:10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2004.09.006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, R. C. K., Shum, D., Toulopoulou, T., & Chen, E. Y. K. (2008). Assessment of executive functions: Review of instruments and identification of critical issues. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 23, 201–216. doi:10.1016/j.acn.2007.08.010.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Christ, S. E., Holt, D. D., White, D. A., & Green, L. (2007). Inhibitory control in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 6, 1155–1165. doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0259-y.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coldren, J. T., & Halloran, C. (2003). Spatial reversal as a measure of executive functioning in children with autism. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 164, 29–41. doi:10.1080/00221320309597501.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Das, J. P., Naglieri, J. A., & Kirby, J. R. (1994). Assessment of cognitive processes: The PASS theory of intelligence. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

  • Denckla, M. B. (1996). A theory and model of executive function: A neuropsychological perspective. In G. R. Lyon & N. A. Krasnegor (Eds.), Attention, memory, and executive function (pp. 263–278). Baltimore, MD: Paul H Brookes.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliott, R. (2003). Executive functions and their disorders. British Medical Bulletin, 65, 49–59. doi:10.1093/bmb/ldg65.049.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fontaine, D., & Nolin, P. (2012). Study of “hot” executive functions in a sample of parents who have been accused of physical abuse or neglect. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 21(1), 1–18. doi:10.1080/10926771.2012.632391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frazier, T. W., Youngstrom, E. A., Speer, L., Embacher, R., Law, P., & Constantino, J. (2012). Validation of proposed DSM-5 criteria for autism spectrum disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(1), 28–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Funahashi, S. (2001). Neuronal mechanisms of executive control by the prefrontal cortex. Neuroscience Research, 39, 147–165.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Geurts, H. M., Corbett, B., & Solomon, M. (2009). The paradox of cognitive flexibility in autism. Trends in Cognitive Science, 13, 74–82. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2008.11.006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, S., & Naglieri, J. A. (2008). The school neuropsychology of ADHD: Theory, assessment and intervention. Psychology in the Schools, 45(9), 859–874. doi:10.1002/pits.20331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Happé, F., & Frith, U. (2006). The weak coherence account: Detail-focused cognitive style in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(1), 5–25. doi:10.1007/s10803-005-0039-0.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hayashi, M., Kato, M., Igarashi, K., & Kashima, H. (2008). Superior fluid intelligence in children with AS. Brain and Cognition, 66, 306–310. doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2007.09.008.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hayward, D., Das, J. P., & Janzen, T. (2007). Innovative programs for improvement in reading through cognitive enhancement: A remediation study of Canadian First Nations children. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 40, 443–457.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heaton, P. (2003). Pitch memory, labelling and disembedding in autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 44, 543–551. doi:10.1111/1469-7610.00143.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, E. L. (2004). Evaluating the theory of executive dysfunction in autism. Developmental Review, 24, 189–233. doi:10.1016/j.dr.2004.01.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joseph, L. M., McCachran, M. E., & Naglieri, J. A. (2003). PASS cognitive processes, phonological processes, and basic reading performance for a semple of referred primary-grade children. Journal of Research in Reading, 26(3), 304–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joseph, R. M., & Tager-Flusburg, H. (2004). The relationship of theory of mind and executive functions to symptom type and severity in children with autism. Development and Psychopathology, 16, 137–155.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jurado, M. B., & Rosselli, M. (2007). The elusive nature of executive functions: A review of our current understanding. Neuropsychological Review, 17, 213–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaland, N., Smith, L., & Mortensen, E. L. (2008). Brief report: Cognitive flexibility and focused attention in children and adolescents with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism as measured on the computerized version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 1161–1165. doi:10.1007/s10803-007-0474-1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Katagiri, M., Kasai, T., Kamio, Y., & Murohashi, H. (2012). Individuals with AS exhibit difficulty in switching attention from a local level to a global level. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi:10.1007/s10803-012-1578-9.

  • Keat, O. B., & Ismail, K. H. (2011). Pass cognitive processing: Comparison between normal children with reading difficulties. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2, 53–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleinhans, N., Akshoomoff, N., & Delis, D. C. (2013). Executive functions in autism and AS: Flexibility, fluency, and inhibition. Developmental Neuropsychology, 27(3), 379–401. doi:10.1207/s15326942dn2703_5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kroeger, T. L., Rojahn, J., & Naglieri, J. A. (2001). Role of planning, attention, and simultaneous and successive cognitive processing in facial recognition in adults with mental retardation. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 106(2), 151–161.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kroesbergen, E. H., Van Luit, J. E. H., & Naglieri, J. A. (2003). Mathematical learning difficulties and PASS cognitive process. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 36(6), 574–582.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kroesbergen, E. H., Van Luit, J. E. H., Naglieri, J. A., Taddei, S., & Franchi, E. (2010). PASS processes and early mathematics skills in Dutch and Italian kindergarteners. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(6), 585–593. doi:10.1177/0734282909356054.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kupfer, D. J., Kuhl, E. A., & Regier, D. A. (2013). DSM-5–The future arrived. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.2298.

  • Kupfer, D. J., & Regier, D. A. (2011). Neuroscience, clinical evidence, and the future of psychiatric classification in DSM-5. American Journal of Psychiatry, 168(7), 672–674.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Luria, A. R. (1966). Higher cortical functions in man. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luria, A. R. (1973). The working brain. London: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandy, W. P., Charman, T., & Skuse, D. H. (2012). Testing the construct validity of proposed criteria for DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(1), 41–50. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2011.10.013.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCrimmon, A. W., Schwean, V. L., Saklofske, D. H., Montgomery, J. M., & Brady, J. M. (2012). Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6, 224–233. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2011.05.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McPartland, J. C., Reichow, B., & Volkmar, F. R. (2012). Sensitivity and specificity of proposed DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(4), 368–383. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2012.01.007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McPartland, J. C., & Volkmar, F. R. (2013). Asperger syndrome and its relationships to autism. In J. D. Bixbaum, & P. R. Holf (Eds.), The neuroscience of autism spectrum disorders (pp. 55–67). Oxford: Elsevier.

  • Naglieri, J. A., & Das, J. P. (1997). Cognitive Assessment System. Itasca, IL: Riverside.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naglieri, J. A., Pickering, E. B., Otero, T., & Moreno, M. (2010). Helping children learn. Intervention handouts for use in school and at home (2nd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Brookes.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naglieri, J. A., Salter, C. J., & Edwards, G. (2004). Assessment of children with ADHD and reading disabilities using PASS theory and Cognitive Assessment System. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 22, 93–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naglieri, J. A., Taddei, S., & Williams, K. M. (2013). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis of U.S. and Italian children’s performance on the PASS theory of intelligence as measured by the Cognitive Assessment System. Psychological Assessment, 25(1), 157–166. doi:10.1037/a0029828.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’Riordan, M. A., Plaisted, K., Driver, J., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2001). Superior visual search in autism. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 27(3), 719–730.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ozonoff, S., Pennington, B. F., & Rogers, S. J. (1991). Executive function deficits in high-functioning autistic individuals: Relationship to theory of mind. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 32(7), 1081–1105. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1991.tb00351.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Purdy, M. H. (2011). Executive functions: Theory, assessment, and treatment. In M. L. Kimbarow (Ed.), Cognitive communication disorders (pp. 77–93). San Diego, CA: Plural.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rinehart, N. J., Bradshaw, J. L., Brereton, A. V., & Tonge, B. J. (2002). A clinical and neurobehavioural review of high-functioning autism and AS. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36, 762–770. doi:10.1046/j.1440-1614.2002.01097.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, S., Goddard, L., Dritschel, B., Wisley, M., & Howlin, P. (2009). Executive functions in children with autism spectrum disorders. Brain and Cognition, 71, 362–368. doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2009.06.007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sanders, J., Johnson, K. A., Garavan, H., Gill, M., & Gallagher, L. (2008). A review of neuropsychological and neuroimaging research in autistic spectrum disorders: Attention, inhibition and cognitive flexibility. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2, 1–16. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2007.03.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sparrow, S. S., & Davis, S. M. (2000). Recent advances in the assessment of intelligence and cognition. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 41(1), 117–131. doi:10.1111/1469-7610.00552.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Suchy, Y. (2009). Executive functioning: Overview, assessment, and research issues for non-neuropsychologists. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 37, 106–116. doi:10.1007/s12160-009-9097-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taddei, S., Caria, M., & Contena, B. (2012). Funzioni esecutive nell’autismo ad alto funzionamento e nel disturbo da deficit di attenzione-iperattività: profili cognitivi a confronto [Executive functions in high functioning autism and AD/HD disorder: Comparison between cognitive profiles]. In Proceedings of the XX Congresso Nazionale delle sezioni AIP—Chieti 2012, 348.

  • Taddei, S., Contena, B., Caria, M., Venturini, E., & Venditti, F. (2011). Evaluation of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and specific learning disability on the WISC and Cognitive Assessment System (CAS). Procedia Social and Behavioral Science, 29, 574–582. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.11.278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taddei, S., & Naglieri, J. A. (2005). L’adattamento italiano del Cognitive Assessment System [Italian adaptation of the Cognitive Assessment System]. In J. A. Naglieri & J. P. Das (Eds.), CAS Manuale [Handbook of CAS] (pp. 85–108). Florence: Giunti O.S. Organizzazioni Speciali.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taddei, S., Venditti, F., & Cartocci, S. (2009). Processi cognitivi e disturbi dell’apprendimento: il contributo diagnostico del Cognitive Assessment System [Cognitive processes and learning disabilities: the diagnostic contribution of the Cognitive Assessment System]. Psichiatria dell’Infanzia e dell’Adolescenza, 76(3), 46–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thakkar, K. N., Polli, F. E., Joseph, R. M., Tuch, D. S., Hadjikhani, N., Barton, J. J., et al. (2008). Response monitoring, repetitive behaviour and anterior cingulate abnormalities in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Brain, 13, 2464–2478. doi:10.1093/brain/awn099.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Eylen, L., Boets, B., Steyaert, J., Evers, K., Wagemans, J., & Noens, I. (2011). Cognitive flexibility in autism spectrum disorder: Explaining the inconsistencies? Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5, 1390–1401. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2011.01.025.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Volkmar, F. R., & Pauls, D. (2003). Autism. Lancet, 362, 1133–1141. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(03)14471-6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Worley, J. A., & Matson, J. L. (2012). Comparing symptoms of autism spectrum disorders using the current DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria and the proposed DSM-V diagnostic criteria. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6, 965–970. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2011.12.012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zelazo, P. D., & Frye, D. (1998). Complexity and control: II. The development of executive function in childhood. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 7(4), 121–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences, Psychology and Psychiatry Unit, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi, 12, Pad. 26, 50135, Florence, Italy

    Stefano Taddei & Bastianina Contena

Authors
  1. Stefano Taddei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bastianina Contena
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stefano Taddei.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Taddei, S., Contena, B. Brief Report: Cognitive Performance in Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome: What are the Differences?. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 2977–2983 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1828-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1828-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation