Psychological and neurobehavioral comparisons of children with Asperger's Disorder versus High-Functioning Autism

J Autism Dev Disord. 2007 May;37(5):847-54. doi: 10.1007/s10803-006-0212-0.

Abstract

This study investigated personality and neurobehavioral differences between 16 children with Asperger's Disorder, 15 children with High-Functioning Autism (HFA), and 31 controls, all ranging in age from 5-17 years, M age = 10.7 years, SD = 3.0. Parents rated their children's behaviors on a 44-item autistic symptoms survey and on the 200-item Coolidge Personality and Neuropsychological Inventory (Coolidge, Thede, Stewart, & Segal (2002a). The Coolidge Personality and Neuropsychological Inventory for Children (CPNI): Preliminary psychometric characteristics. Behavior Modification, 26, 550-566). The results indicated that the two clinical samples were significantly elevated on the Executive Function Deficits scale and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) scale compared to controls. There were more similarities than differences between the two clinical samples on the personality scales, although the Asperger's group scored significantly on the two scales with anxiety components.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Asperger Syndrome / epidemiology
  • Asperger Syndrome / physiopathology*
  • Asperger Syndrome / psychology*
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / diagnosis
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / epidemiology
  • Autistic Disorder / epidemiology
  • Autistic Disorder / physiopathology*
  • Autistic Disorder / psychology*
  • Brain / physiopathology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis
  • Cognition Disorders / epidemiology
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Personality Disorders / diagnosis
  • Personality Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Prevalence
  • Psychomotor Disorders / diagnosis
  • Psychomotor Disorders / epidemiology
  • Registries