The matching-to-sample performances of three young adults with autism and four children (ages four to nine) without intellectual disabilities were examined in three experiments using complex sample stimuli. Results for all subjects showed that each of two redundant relevant sample elements and their respective comparison stimuli were substitutable…

This study compared working memory in 28 high-functioning autistic individuals (ages 7-18) with that of 30 individuals with Tourette Syndrome or typically developing. No group differences were found. Performance was significantly correlated only with age and IQ. Results suggest that working memory is not an executive function seriously impaired in…

Postural control was evaluated in 91 autistic, 166 normal, and 18 mentally retarded children using a computerized posturographic procedure. In comparison to normal children, the autistic subjects were less likely to exhibit age-related changes in postural performance, and postures were more variable and less stable. (Author/JDD)

This study examined behavioral adjustment in 22 siblings of children with autism. Mothers rated these children as having more behavior problems and fewer prosocial behaviors than a normative sample. Analysis of variables revealed that male siblings and children younger than the autistic sibling engaged in fewer prosocial behaviors. Psychological…

This study used saccadic eye movements to assess visuospatial attention in 53 normal children (ages 8-15). Saccadic latency, the ability to suppress extraneous saccades during fixation, and the ability to inhibit task-provoked anticipatory saccades all improved with age. Developmental patterns varied by task. Analyses of age-related changes may be…

The Questionnaire on Resources and Stress was used to compare stress profiles of 50 mothers of children with autism, varying by cultural and geographic environment, children's ages, and children's functioning levels. A consistent profile across groups was found. Stress levels were associated with dependency, cognitive impairment, limits on family…

The study of affect comprehension in 15 children with pervasive developmental disorders (ages 7-10) and normal children matched for mental age found that the disabled children were impaired on affect matching compared to the controls and were impaired on face and affect matching relative to their own performance on object matching. (Author/DB)

This review of studies of early onset schizophrenia examines the nosological similarity between adult and early onset schizophrenia, differential diagnosis, treatment, and the extent to which children and adolescents diagnosed as having schizophrenia using adult criteria have the characteristic adult correlates. The paper discusses gender…

This study investigated associations between selected infant and maternal characteristics and autism risk in 4381 California children with autism. Increased risk factors were observed for males, multiple births, and children born to black mothers. Risk increased as maternal age and maternal education increased. Children of immigrant mothers had…

Teacher ratings on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist were collected on 666 students with mental retardation attending special classes. Classroom placement and age had significant effects on subscale scores, whereas sex failed to affect ratings. The study concludes that the original scoring method, developed for individuals in residential facilities,…