The development of core cognitive skills in autism: a 3-year prospective study.
This longitudinal study tested the veracity of one candidate multiple-deficits account of autism by assessing 37 children with autism (M age=67.9 months) and 31 typical children (M age=65.2 months) on tasks tapping components of theory of mind (ToM), executive function (EF), and central coherence (CC) at intake and again 3 years later. As a group, children with autism showed poor false-belief attribution, planning ability, and set-shifting, together with enhanced local processing at both time points. At an individual level, however, the profile was far from universal at either intake or follow-up. Moreover, autistic children demonstrated significant changes over time in ToM and EF, but not CC, over the 3-year period. The challenges these findings pose for a multiple-deficits account are discussed.
Pellicano
Elizabeth
E
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Centre for Research in Autism and Education, Department of Psychology and Human Development, Institute of Education, 25 Woburn Square, London, United Kingdom. l.pellicano@ioe.ac.uk
D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male