Abstract
Personality characteristics of 35 severely mentally retarded children, including 11 with Down's Syndrome, and 32 autistic children evaluated on the basis of the Behavior Rating Instrument for Autistic Children are compared and discussed. The children, 48 boys and 19 girls, ranged in age from 4 to 12 years. Rating on five scales pertaining to nature and degree of relationship to an adult as a person, communication, vocalization and expressive speech, drive for mastery, and psychosexual development, all described in some detail, indicated that the severely retarded group scored significantly higher in each area. Also higher for that group were the correlations between various scales. It is suggested that severely retarded children, particularly those with Down's Syndrome, are less disturbed, and better integrated than autistic and that fragmentation, compartmentalization and lack of generalization between key areas of function are specific factors in the autistic process.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Benton, A. L. The concept of pseudofeeblemindedness.Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry, 1956,75, 379–388.
Benton, A. L. Psychological evaluation and differential diagnosis. In Harvey A. Stevens and Rick Heber (Eds.),Mental retardation: A review of research. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1965.
Cattell, P.The measurement of intelligence of infants and young children. New York: Psychological Corporation, 1960.
Creak, M. Schizophrenic syndrome in childhood: Progress report of working party.Cerebral Palsy Bulletin, 1961,3, 501–504.
DeMeyer, M. K., Churchill, D. W., Pontius, W., & Gilkey, K. M. A comparison of five diagnostic systems for childhood schizophrenia and infantile autism.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1971,1, 175–189.
Doll, E. A.The measurement of social competence: A manual for the vineland social maturity scale. Minneapolis: Educational Testing Bureau, 1953.
Goldfarb, W. A follow-up investigation of schizophrenic children treated in residence.Psychosocial Progress, 1970,1, 9–64.
Heber, R. F. A manual on terminology and classification in mental retardation.American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 1961, Monograph Supplement.
Holter, F. R., & Ruttenberg, B. A. Initial interventions in psychotherapeutic treatment of autistic children.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1971,1, 206–214.
Kanner, L. Problems of nosology and psychodynamics of early childhood autism.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1949,19, 416–426.
Kanner, L. The specificity of early infantile autism.Zeitschrift fur Kinderpsychiatrie, 1958,25, 108–113.
Kanner, L., Rodriguez, A., & Ashenden, B. How far can autistic children go in matters of social adaptation?Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1972,2, 9–33.
Mahler, M. S., Furer, M., & Settlege, C. F. Severe emotional disturbances in childhood. In S. Arieti (ED.),American handbook of psychiatry. Vol. 1. New York: Basic Books, 1959.
Plunkett, R. J., & Hayden, A. C. (Eds.)Standard nomenclature of diseases and operations. (4th ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill, 1952.
Reichler, R. J., & Schopler, E. Observations on the nature of human relatedness.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1971,1, 283–296.
Rimland, B. The differentiation of childhood psychoses: An analysis of checklists for 2,218 psychotic children.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1971,1, 161–174.
Robinson, H. B., & Robinson, N. M.The mentally retarded child: A psychological approach. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1965.
Ruttenberg, B. A. A psychoanalytic understanding of infantile autism and its treatment. In D. W. Churchill, G. D. Alpern, & M. K. DeMeyer (Eds.),Infantile autism. Springfield, Ill.: Charles C Thomas, 1971.
Ruttenberg, B. A., Dratman, M. L., Fraknoi, J., & Wenar, C. An instrument for evaluating autistic children.Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 1966,5, 453–478.
Ruttenberg, B. A. & Wolf, E. G. Evaluating the communication of the autistic child.Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 1967,32, 314–324.
Siegel, S.Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill. 1956.
Terman, L. M. & Merrill, M. A.Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1960.
Wenar, C., & Ruttenberg, B. A. Therapies for autistic children. In J. M. Masserman (Ed.),Current psychiatric therapies. Vol. IX. New York: Grune & Stratton, 1969.
Wenar, C., Ruttenberg, B. A., Dratman, M. L., & Wolf, E. G. Changing autistic behavior: The effectiveness of three contrasting milieus.Archives of General Psychiatry, 1967,17, 26–35.
Weschler, D.Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children: Manual. New York: Psychological Corporation, 1949.
Wing, L. The handicaps of autistic children-a comparative study.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 1969,10, 1–40.
Wing, L., & Wing, J. K. Multiple impairments in early childhood autism.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1971,1, 256–266.
Wolf, E. G., & Ruttenberg, B. A. Communication therapy for the autistic child.Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 1967,32, 331–335.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was supported in part by National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH-00982.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wolf, E.G., Wenar, C. & Ruttenberg, B.A. A comparison of personality variables in autistic and mentally retarded children. J Autism Dev Disord 2, 92–108 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537629
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537629