Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Defining the Intellectual Profile of Asperger Syndrome: Comparison with High-Functioning Autism

  • Published:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Asperger syndrome (AS) is a disorder of early childhood characterized by autistic social deficits, subtle communication impairment, and excessive isolated interests. There is no history of language delay or of mental retardation. Despite its increasing popularity as a distinct condition, its diagnostic validity remains uncertain. It is still unclear to what extent AS differs from autism with normal intelligence sometimes referred to as high-functioning autism (HFA). However, some reports have suggested that persons with AS possess a distinct profile on tests of intelligence characterized by a high verbal IQ and a low performance IQ, whereas in most cases with HFA, the pattern is reversed. Since few studies have directly compared AS subjects with HFA controls using unmodified diagnostic criteria and standardized measures of assessment, in this report we compared 22 AS subjects with 12 HFA controls, matched on age, sex and level of intelligence. As a group, subjects with AS showed a higher verbal IQ and higher scores on information and vocabulary subtests than those with HFA. However, scores of several AS and HFA subjects showed a mixed pattern. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of the validity of Asperger Syndrome.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Asperger, H. (1944). Die ‘autistischen psychopathen’ im kindersalter. Archiv fur Psychiatrie und Nevenkrankheiten, 117, 76-136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailey, A., Phillips, W., & Rutter, M. (1996). Autism: Towards an integration of clinical, genetic, neuropsychological, and neurobiological perspectives. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 37, 89-126.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeMyer, M., Hingten, J. M., & Jackson, R. K. (1981)Infantile autism reviewed: A decade of research. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 7, 388-451.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fein, D., Pennington, B., Markowitz, P., Braverman, M., & Waterhouse, L. (1986)Toward a neuropsychological model of infantile autism: Are the social deficits primary? Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 25, 2,198-212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghaziuddin, M., Leininger, L., & Tsai, L. (1995). Thought disorder in Asperger syndrome: Comparison with high-functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25, 3,311-317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghaziuddin, M., Butler, L., Tsai, L., & Ghaziuddin, N. (1994). Is clumsiness a marker for Asperger syndrome? Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 38, 519-527.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gillberg, C. (1998)Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism. British Journal of Psychiatry, 172, 200-209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klin, A. (2000). Attributing social meaning to ambiguous visual stimuli in higher-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome: The social attribution task. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 7, 831-846.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klin, A., Volkmar, F. R., Sparrow, S. S., Cichetti, D. V.& Rourke, B. P. (1995). Validity and neuropsychological characterization of Asperger syndrome. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 36, 1127-1140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Le Couteur, A., Rutter, M., Lord, C., Rios, P., Robertson, S., Holdgrafer, M., & McLennan, J. D. (1989). Autism diagnostic interview: A semistructured interview for parents and caregivers of autistic persons. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 19, 363-387.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lincoln, A. J., Allen, M. H., & Kilman, A. (1995). The assessment and interpretation of intellectual abilities in people with autism. In E. Shopler & G. B. Mesibov(Eds.), Learning and congnition in autism(pp. 89-117).New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manjiviona, J., & Prior, M. (1995). Comparison of Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autistic children on a test of motor impairment. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25(1), 23-39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, J. N., & Ozonoff, S. (2000). The external validity of Asperger syndrome: Lack of evidence from the domain of neuropsychology. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109(2), 227-238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozonoff, S., Rogers, S., & Pennington, B. F. (1991). Asperger' syndrome: Evidence of an empirical distinction from high-functioning autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 32, 1107-1122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozonoff, S., South, M., & Miller, J. N. (2000). DSM-IV-defined Asperger syndrome: Cognitive, behavioral and early history differentiation from high-functioning autism. Autism, 4(1), 29-46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rourke, B. (1989)Nonverbal learning disabilities: The syndrome and the model New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rourke, B., Ahmad, S. A., Collins, D. W., Hayman-Abello, B.A., Hayman-Abello, S. E., &Warriner, E.M.Child clinical/pediatric neuropsychology: Some recent advances. (2002). Annual Reviews Psychology, 543, 309-339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. (1978). Language disorder and infantile autism. In M. Rutter & E. Schopler(Eds.), Autism: A reappraisal of concepts and treatment(pp. 85-104).New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sattler, J. M. (1992). Assessment of children: Revised and updated third edition San Diego: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schopler, E.& Mesibov, G. (1998). Introduction. In E. Schopler & G. Mesibov(Eds.), Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism? pp. (3-9).New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegel, D. J., Minshew, N. J., & Goldstein, G. (1996). Wechsler IQ profiles in diagnosis of high-functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 389-406.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szatmari, P., Tuff, L., Finlayson, M. A. J., & Bartolucci, G. (1989). Asperger's syndrome and autism: Neurocognitive aspects. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29, 130-136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (1992). Wechsler intelligence scale for children (3rd ed.). San Antonio, Texas: Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (1997). Wechsler adult intelligence scale-revised New York: Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wing, L. (1981). Asperger's syndrome: A clinical account. Psychological Medicine, 11, 115-129.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical Center, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-0390, USA

    Mohammad Ghaziuddin & Kimberly Mountain-Kimchi

Authors
  1. Mohammad Ghaziuddin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kimberly Mountain-Kimchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammad Ghaziuddin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ghaziuddin, M., Mountain-Kimchi, K. Defining the Intellectual Profile of Asperger Syndrome: Comparison with High-Functioning Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 34, 279–284 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JADD.0000029550.19098.77

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JADD.0000029550.19098.77

Search

Navigation