Evidence for latent classes of IQ in young children with autism spectrum disorder.
Autism is currently viewed as a spectrum condition that includes strikingly different severity levels; IQ is consistently described as one of the primary aspects of the heterogeneity in autism. To investigate the possibility of more than one distinct subtype of autism based on IQ both latent class analysis and taxometrics methods were used to classify Mullen IQs in a sample of 456 children with autism spectrum disorder. We found evidence for multiple IQbased subgroups using both methods. Groups differed in level of intellectual functioning and patterns of verbal versus nonverbal ability. Results support the notion of distinct subtypes of autism that differ in severity of intellectual ability, patterns of cognitive strengths and weaknesses, and severity of autism symptoms.
Munson
Jeffrey
J
University of Washington, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. jeffmun@u.washington.edu
Dawson
Geraldine
G
Sterling
Lindsey
L
Beauchaine
Theodore
T
Zhou
Andrew
A
Elizabeth
Koehler
K
Lord
Catherine
C
Rogers
Sally
S
Sigman
Marian
M
Estes
Annette
A
Abbott
Robert
R
D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009633:Nonverbal Communication; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014705:Verbal Behavior