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Age differences in academic achievement in high-functioning autistic individuals
G Goldstein1, N J Minshew, D J Siegel
1Highland Drive VA Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA.
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
|October 1, 1994
Summary
High-functioning autistic individuals show early academic strengths but later decline, particularly in complex interpretive and linguistic tasks, compared to neurotypical peers.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Developmental psychology
- Educational psychology
Background:
- Previous research indicated preserved mechanical skills and impaired comprehension in high-functioning autism.
- The current study investigates the developmental trajectory of these academic skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the developmental changes in psychoeducational skills in high-functioning autistic individuals.
- To compare the academic performance of autistic children and adolescents with neurotypical controls.
Main Methods:
- Administration of a battery of psychoeducational tests to high-functioning autistic subjects (IQ > 70) and normal controls.
- Analysis of performance differences based on age groups (younger vs. older).
Main Results:
- Younger autistic subjects matched or exceeded controls in mechanical, procedural, and some interpretive skills.
- Younger autistic subjects showed deficits in tasks requiring complex linguistic instructions.
- Older autistic subjects performed significantly worse than older controls on interpretive tasks.
Conclusions:
- The psychoeducational profile in autism has a developmental aspect, with early strengths potentially followed by a decline.
- Autistic individuals may experience a divergence in academic functioning over time compared to neurotypical development.
- Linguistic instruction following appears to be a key area of difficulty that worsens with age.