In comparison to typically developing (TD) individuals, people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) appear to be worse in the fast extraction of the global meaning of a situation or picture. Ultra-rapid categorization [paradigm developed by Thorpe et al. ("Nature" 381:520-522, 1996)] involves such global information processing. We…

Enhanced perception may allow for visual search superiority by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but does it occur over time? We tested high-functioning children with ASD, typically developing (TD) children, and TD adults in two tasks at three presentation rates (50, 83.3, and 116.7 ms/item) using rapid serial visual presentation.…

There is a need for brief screening instruments for autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) that can be used by frontline healthcare professionals to aid in the decision as to whether an individual should be referred for a full diagnostic assessment. In this study we evaluated the ability of a short form of the autism spectrum quotient (AQ)…

The present study examined whether individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are able to update and monitor working memory representations of visual input, and whether performance is influenced by stimulus and task complexity. 15 high-functioning adults with ASD and 15 controls were asked to allocate either elements of abstract figures or…

Existing methods of indexing the vocational activities of adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have made significant contributions to research. Nonetheless, they are limited by problems with sensitivity and reliability. We developed an index of vocational and educational outcomes that captures the full range of activities experienced by…

While much research has examined the development of facial recognition abilities, less is known about the ability of individuals with and without autism to categorize facial gender. The current study tested gender categorization abilities in high-functioning children (5-7 and 8-12 years), adolescents (13-17 years), and adults (18-53 years) with…

The phenotypic heterogeneity of adults suspected of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires a standardized diagnostic approach that is feasible in all clinical settings. The autism mental status exam (AMSE) is an eight-item observational assessment that structures the observation and documentation of social, communicative and behavioral signs and…

To test the effects of providing relational cues at encoding and/or retrieval on multi-trial, multi-list free recall in adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 16 adults with ASD and 16 matched typical adults learned a first followed by a second categorised list of 24 words. Category labels were provided at encoding,…

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…

Psychometric data are presented for 223 children and adults with autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS), or nonspectrum diagnoses who took the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic. Within each module, diagnostic groups were equivalent on expressive language levels. Results indicate substantial…

A study compared characteristics of individuals with mild retardation and clinically classified as autistic disorder (n=205), Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDDNOS) (n=80), and other non-PDD disorders (n=174). Only a few items from the ICD-10 and DSM-IV discriminated the PDDNOS group from other disorders. Suggested…

An evaluation was made of the empirical validity of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II) with 51 individuals with severe/profound mental retardation, some of whom were also diagnosed with autism, and controls. The Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorder subscale of the DASH-II was internally consistent and just as…

A method for empirical classification of autistic and autisticlike children, based on behavior observations of 35 males and 11 females (ages 4-28 years) was examined. Factor and cluster analysis indicated four subtypes, characterized by perseverative thinking and play, motor disturbances, schizotypal/schizoid features, and anxiety and negativism.…

The Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents, the Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behavior, and the Self-Report Depression Questionnaire were completed for 38 adults with mild/moderate mental retardation, half of whom had relatively high and half had relatively low depression screening scores. Association among measures was generally low,…

Autism Behavior Checklists were completed for 52 autistic individuals (ages 2-31) and 62 nonautistic individuals, and data were analyzed using signal detection methodology. A single item (looks "through" people) combined with one of five other items discriminated as well as the sum scores, and further combinations did not improve…