Wisconsin Card Sorting Test-Learning Potential: Usefulness for Assessing Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04488-2
• Publication Date: 2020-04-03T15:04:03Z
• Authors: M. Mar Gómez-Pérez; Sara Mata; Francisca Serrano; M. Dolores Calero
• Keywords: Male; Executive Function; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Autism Spectrum Disorder; 4. Education; 05 social sciences; Humans; Learning; Female; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences; Child; Wisconsin Card Sorting Test

This study analyzes the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test-Learning Potential (WCST-LP) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) versus children with typical development (TD). Its main aim was to assess: the test's construct validity; the effect of IQ on its pretest and LP scores; and whether the WCST-LP held any relationship to cognitive/EF and social abilities. Participants were 105 children (43 with ASD/62 with TD). Results showed evidence of construct validity in an ASD population (improvements from pretest to posttest), that full IQ influenced pretest performance but did not affect LP, and that a relationship between LP and verbal and social abilities existed only in children with ASD. Conclusions indicate the appropriateness of the WCST-LP in ASD prognosis assessment.