Changes in cognitive and language functioning of preschool children with autism.
Preschool children with autism and their normally developing peers were compared on the Stanford-Binet IV and Preschool Language Scale before and after 1 school year. Both measures showed that although the children with autism functioned at a lower level than their normally developing peers, the children with autism had narrowed this gap after treatment, making a nearly 19-point increase in IQ and an 8-point gain in language quotient. The IQ measure remained stable for the normally developing peers while their language showed a 7.73-point increase. The data support the notion that young children with autism can make very significant developmental gains.
Harris
S L
SL
Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway 08855-0819.
Handleman
J S
JS
Gordon
R
R
Kristoff
B
B
Fuentes
F
F
D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004519:Education, Special; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008282:Mainstreaming, Education; D008297:Male; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D013195:Stanford-Binet Test