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Cognitive profiles of Autism, ADHD, and co-occurring presentations in childhood: insights from an online working
Astrid Priscilla Martinez Cedillo1, Ivonne Leon-Espinoza2, Lilia Albores-Gallo3
1Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK.
Insights
Online cognitive tasks can differentiate between children with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) in Mexico. This study shows the feasibility of remote assessment for identifying neurodevelopmental disorders in low-resource settings.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Global Health
Background:
- Limited access to cognitive assessments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) hinders identification of neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are prevalent, often co-occur, and have distinct cognitive profiles.
- Online assessments offer a scalable and cost-effective solution for screening and research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if a brief online cognitive task can distinguish performance patterns in children with ADHD, ASC, co-occurring ASC + ADHD, and typically developing (TD) peers.
- To assess the feasibility and reliability of remote cognitive task administration in diverse regions of Mexico.
Main Methods:
- Children aged 8-14 from Mexico completed an online working memory task involving remembering face identity or emotional expression.
- Task completion rates were monitored to assess feasibility of remote administration.
- Performance patterns were analyzed to differentiate between clinical groups (ADHD, ASC, ASC + ADHD) and TD peers.
Main Results:
- High task completion rates (84.6%) confirmed the feasibility of remote online assessment.
- Children with ADHD exhibited poorer working memory performance and increased intra-subject variability compared to TD peers.
- Children with ASC showed selective impairment in the emotion-based working memory task.
Conclusions:
- Online cognitive tasks are feasible for use in LMIC contexts, offering a scalable method for developmental research and early identification.
- Intra-subject variability is a significant indicator for ADHD.
- Further research is needed to differentiate overlapping cognitive profiles in complex neurodevelopmental disorders.
Abstract:
Access to standardized cognitive assessment remains limited in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), with direct implications for the identification and support of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Among these, Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ADHD are highly prevalent and frequently co-occurring yet characterized by distinct cognitive profiles. Online assessment methods represent a promising avenue for scalable, cost-effective screening and research. The present study investigated whether a brief online cognitive task could reliably distinguish performance patterns among children and adolescents with ADHD, ASC, both (ASC + ADHD) and a group of typically developing (TD) peers. Children between the ages of 8 and 14 from diverse regions of Mexico completed a brief online working memory task, where they were required to remember either the identity(N = 61) or the emotional expression (N = 99) of a face. Task completion rates were high, demonstrating the feasibility of remote administration (84.6%). Clinical groups showed expected differences relative to TD peers: the ADHD group was distinguished by poorer overall working memory performance and increased intra-subject variability. The ASC group was selectively impaired in the emotion task. This study demonstrates the feasibility of deploying online cognitive tasks in LMIC contexts, providing a scalable approach to developmental research and early identification and referral. Intra-subject variability is a robust marker for ADHD, while careful future work should continue to disentangle overlapping disorders.
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