Local Information Processing in Adults with High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome: The Usefulness of Neuropsychological Tests and Self-Reports

• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-010-1106-8
• Publication Date: 2010-09-22T22:08:04Z
• Authors: Annelies A. Spek; Evert M. Scholte; Ina A. Van Bercke...
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Original Paper; Intelligence; 05 social sciences; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests; 3. Good health; Cognition; Surveys and Questionnaires; Developmental and Educational Psychology; Reaction Time; Humans; Female; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences; Self Report; Asperger Syndrome; Autistic Disorder

Local information processing in 42 adults with high functioning autism, 41 adults with Asperger syndrome and 41 neurotypical adults was examined. Contrary to our expectations, the disorder groups did not outperform the neurotypical group in the neuropsychological measures of local information processing. In line with our hypotheses, the self-reports did show higher levels of local information processing and a stronger tendency to use systemizing strategies in the two disorder groups. Absent and weak correlations were found between the self-reports and the two neuropsychological tasks in the three groups. The neuropsychological tests and the self-reports seem to measure different underlying constructs. The self-reports were most predictive of the presence of an autism spectrum diagnosis.