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Cognitive Profile of Autism and Intellectual Disorder in Wechsler's Scales: Meta-Analysis
Gustavo Mortari Ferreira1, Calliandra Maria de Souza Silva1,2, Alexandre Sampaio Rodrigues Pereira1
1Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences and Technologies, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília 2220-900, DF, Brazil.
None:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) frequently coexist and share heterogeneous cognitive manifestations, yet their specific performance patterns on Wechsler scales remain poorly systematized. This meta-analysis synthesized data from 31 studies using the WISC-IV, WISC-V, WAIS-III, and WAIS-IV to compare cognitive index profiles in individuals with ASD, ID and ASD+ID. Standardized mean differences (Hedges' g) were calculated using random-effects models, adopting a normative reference of mean 100 and SD 15. Results showed a distinct profile for ASD, with greater impairments in the Processing Speed Index (PSI) and Working Memory Index (WMI), while the Vocabulary Comprehension Index (VCI), Perceptual/Fluid Reasoning Index (PRI/FRI), and Visual Processing Index (VPI) remained close to normative scores. In contrast, ID and ASD+ID exhibited generalized deficits across all indices, with the lowest scores in Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ) and broad effects above g = -2.5. No significant differences emerged between Wechsler versions or age-based test types. Heterogeneity was high in ASD and ID across outcomes, but negligible in ASD+ID due to reduced k. These findings reinforce that ASD presents a specific cognitive pattern, whereas ID and ASD+ID display diffuse impairment, and that Wechsler scales are consistent across versions for identifying these profiles.
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