Abstract
Investigated the Sequential and Simultaneous processing distinctions of highfunctioning autistic children and children with a developmental receptive language disorder (DRLD). Twenty autistic subjects and 20 DRLD subjects were matched on age and gender, and compared to each other on their Sequential and Simultaneous processing abilities utilizing the K-ABC and selected subtests of the WISC-R. Results showed that both groups manifested a relative sequential processing deficit. However, the groups did not differ significantly on their overall sequential and simultaneous processing capabilities relative to their degree of language impairment. The application of the sequential and simultaneous processing model to the WISC-R provided consistent convergent and discriminant validation for the assessment of these processes with the WISC-R.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association. (1987).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed., rev.). Washington, DC: Author.
Bartak, L., Rutter, M., & Cox, A. (1975). A comparative study of infantile autism and specific developmental receptive language disorders.British Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 127–145.
Bartak, L., Rutter, M., & Cox, A. (1977). A comparative study of infantile autism and specific developmental receptive language disorders. III. Discriminant function analysis.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 7, 383–396.
Benton, A. L. (1978). The cognitive functioning of children with developmental dysphasia. In M. A. Wyke (Ed.),Developmental dysphasia (pp. 43–62). New York: Academic Press.
Blackstock, E. G. (1978). Cerebral asymmetry and the development of early infantile autism.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 8, 339–353.
Bogen, J. E. (1969). The other side of the brain. (Parts I, II, and III).Bulletin of the Los Angeles Neurological Society, 34, 73–105, 135–162, 191–203.
Cambell, D. T., & Stanley, J. C. (1963, 1966).Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research. Chicago: Rand McNally.
Cohen, D. J., Caparulo, B., & Shawitz, B. (1976). Primary childhood aphasia and childhood autism.Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 15, 604–645.
Crosson, B. (1985). Subcortical functions in language: A working model:Brain and Language, 25, 257–292.
Das, J. P., Kirby, J., & Jarman, R. F. (1975). Simultaneous and successive synthesis: An alternative model for cognitive abilities.Psychological Bulletin, 82, 37–103.
Das, J. P., Kirby, J., & Jarman, R. F. (1979).Successive and simultaneous cognitive processes. New York: Academic Press.
Dawson, G. (1983). Lateralized brain function in autism: Evidence from the Halstead-Reitan neuropsychological battery.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 13, 369–386.
Dean, R. S. (1984). Functional lateralization of the brain.Journal of Special Education, 18, 239–256.
Freeman, B. J., Lucas, J. C., Forness, S. R., & Ritvo, E. R. (1985). Cognitive processing of high functioning autistic children: Comparing the K-ABC and the WISC-R.Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 4, 357–362.
Gazzaniga, M. S. (1975). Recent research on hemispheric lateralization of the human brain: Review of the split-brain.UCLA Educator, 17, 9–12.
Hermelin, B. (1976). Coding and the sense modalities. In L. Wing (Ed.),Early childhood autism: Clinical, educational and social aspects (pp. 135–168). New York: Pergamon.
Hoffman, W. L., & Prior, M. R. (1982). Neuropsychological dimensions of autism in children: A test of the hemispheric dysfunction hypothesis.Journal of Clinical Neuropsychology, 4, 27–41.
Kamphaus, R. W., & Reynolds, C. R. (1984). Development and structure of the Kaufman assessment battery for children.Journal of Special Education, 18, 213–228.
Kamphaus, R. W., & Reynolds, C. R. (1987).Clinical and research applications of the K-ABC. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.
Kaufman, A. S. (1979).Intelligence testing with the WISC-R. New York: Wiley-Interscience.
Kaufman, A. S., & Kaufman, N. L. (1983a).Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children: Administration and Scoring Manual. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.
Kaufman, A. S., & Kaufman, N. L. (1983b).Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children: Interpretive Manual. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.
Keith, T. Z., Hood, C., Eberhart, S., & Pottebaum, S. M. (1985, April).Factor structure of the K-ABC for referred school children. Paper presented at the meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, Las Vegas, NV.
Lezak, M. D. (1983).Neuropsychological assessment (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
Lincoln, A. J., Dickstein, P., Courchesne, E., Tallal, P., & Elmasion, R. (1991).Auditory processing abilities in non-retarded adolescents and young adults with receptive developmental language disorder and autism. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Lincoln, A. J., Courchesne, E., Kilman, B. A., Elmasian, R., & Allen, M. H. (1988). A study of intellectual abilities in people with autism.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 18, 505–524.
Lockyer, L., & Rutter, M. (1970). A 5 to 15 year follow-up study of infantile psychosis: IV. Patterns of cognitive ability.British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 9, 152–163.
Ludlow, C. L. (1980). Children's language disorders: Recent research advances.Annals of Neurology, 7, 497–507.
Luria, A. R. (1966).Higher cortical functions in man. New York: Basic Books.
Luria, A. R. (1973).The working brain: An introduction to neuropsychology. New York: Basic Books.
Menyuk, P. (1978). Linguistic problems in children with developmental dysphasia. In M. Wyke (Ed.),Developmental dysphasia (pp. 135–158). London: Academic Press.
Naglieri, J. A., & Das, J. P. (1988). Planning-arousal-simultaneous-successive (PASS): A model for assessment.Journal of School Psychology, 26, 35–48.
Naglieri, J. A., Kamphaus, R. W., & Kaufman, A. S. (1983). The Luria-Das successive-simultaneous model applied to the WISC-R data.Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 1, 25–34.
Ornitz, E. M. (1974). The modulation of sensory input and motor output in autistic children.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 4, 197–215.
Ornitz, E. M. (1978). Neurophysiologic studies. In M. Rutter & E. Schopler (Eds.),Autism: A reappraisal of concepts and treatment (pp. 117–139). New York: Plenum Press.
Ornitz, E. M., & Ritvo, E. R. (1968). Perceptual inconstancy in early infantile autism.Archives of General Psychiatry, 18, 76–98.
Prior, M. R. (1979). Cognitive abilities and disabilities in infantile autism: A review.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 7, 357–380.
Prior, M. R., & Bradshaw, J. L. (1979). Hemispheric functioning in autistic children.Cortex, 15, 73–81.
Reitan, R. M. (1984).Aphasia and sensory-perceptual deficits in children. Tucson, AZ: Neuropsychological Press.
Rutter, M., & Schopler, E. (1987). Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Concepts and Diagnostic Issues.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 17, 159–186.
Tallal, P. (1978). An experimental investigation of the role of auditory temporal processing in normal and disordered language development. In A. Caramazza & E. B. Zurif (Eds.),Language acquisition and language breakdown: Parallels and divergences. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Tallal, P. (1987). Neuropsychological foundations of specific developmental disorders of speech and language: Implications for theories of hemisphere specialization. In J. O. Cavenar (Ed.),Psychiatry (Vol. 3, Sect. 67, pp. 1–15). New York: Basic Books.
Tallal, P., & Piercy, M. (1978). Defects of auditory perception in children with developmental dysphasia. In M. A. Wyke (Ed.),Developmental dysphasia. London: Academic Press.
Tallal, P., Stark, R., Kallman, C., & Mellits, D. (1981). A re-examination of some nonverbal perceptual abilities of language-impaired and normal children as a function of age and sensory modality.Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 24, 351–357.
Tanguay, P. E. (1976). Clinical and electrophysiological research. In E. R. Ritvo (Ed.),Autism: Diagnosis, current research and management (pp. 75–84). New York: Spectrum.
Tanguay, P. E. (1984). Toward a new classification of serious psychopathology in children.Journal of American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 23, 373–384.
Wechsler, D. (1974).Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. New York: Psychological Corp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by a seed money grant from Children's Hospital awarded to Alan Lincoln and NINCDS grant 1-R01-N28614-01 awarded to Alan Lincoln. We also appreciate the support of the Neuropsychology Research Laboratory at Children's Hospital (Eric Courchesne, Director), and the San Diego Unified School District.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Allen, M.H., Lincoln, A.J. & Kaufman, A.S. Sequential and simultaneous processing abilities of high-functioning autistic and language-impaired children. J Autism Dev Disord 21, 483–502 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02206872
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02206872