Inter-individual cognitive variability in children with Asperger?s syndrome

GONZÁLEZ GADEA, MARÍA LUZ; ROCA MARÍA

FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE

FRONTIERS RES FOUND

Año: 2014

1662-5161

Multiple studies have tried to establish the distinctive profile of individuals with Asperger?s syndrome (AS). However, recent reports suggest that adults with AS feature heterogeneouscognitiveprofiles.The present study explores inter-individual variability in children with AS through group comparison and multiple case series analysis. All participants completed an extended battery including measures of fluid and crystallized intelligence, executive functions, theory of mind, and classical neuropsychological test. Significant group differences were found in theory of mind and other domains related to global information processing. However,the AS group showed high inter-individual variability (both sub- andsupra-normal performance) onmost cognitive tasks. Furthermore, high fluid intelligence correlated with less general cognitive impairment, high cognitive flexibility,and speed of motor processing. Inlight of these findings,we propose that children with AS are characterized by a distinct, uneven pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses.