Date of Award

1-1-2019

Language

English

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

College/School/Department

Department of Psychology

Program

Clinical Psychology

Content Description

1 online resource (iv, 40 pages)

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Kristin V. Christodulu

Committee Members

Melissa L. Rinaldi

Keywords

Autistic people, Autism spectrum disorders, Children with autism spectrum disorders, Cognition, Cognition disorders, Children, Stanford-Binet Test

Subject Categories

Clinical Psychology

Abstract

Previous research on the cognitive functioning of individuals with autism spectrum disorder has mixed findings. It is generally understood that individuals with autism have a unique cognitive profile compared to their typically developing peers; however, capturing the special features of this cognitive profile has been difficult. The present study examines the cognitive profile of individuals with autism from multiple angles including overall Nonverbal and Verbal IQ score differences, differences in age, and differences in sex. The study evaluated data gathered from diagnostic evaluations for autism spectrum disorder performed in the Capital Region of New York. A total of 178 children and adults from ages 2 to 28 years old, 96 of which received an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, were included in the analyses. The assessment items of interest in the present study included items to diagnose autism spectrum disorder and evaluate cognitive performance. The results indicated that, overall, individuals with autism spectrum disorder attain significantly discrepant Nonverbal and Verbal IQ scores. When compared to typically developing peers, older individuals with autism had greater score differences between their Nonverbal and Verbal IQ scores than typically developing peers. This result was also found in females with autism when compared to typically developing females.

Download

Share

COinS