ASPERGER-SYNDROME, AUTISM AND ATTENTION DISORDERS - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF THE COGNITIVE PROFILES OF 120 CHILDREN

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R,) was app lied (in a Swedish version) in 120 children with Asperger syndrome, au tistic disorder, and attention disorders. Using stepwise logistic regr ession analysis, the WISC's discriminating ability was investigated. T he overall rate of correct diagnostic classification was 63%. Further, WISC profiles were analysed within each group. The group with autisti c disorder was characterised by a peak on Block Design. The Asperger s yndrome group bad good verbal ability and troughs on Object Assembly a nd Coding. The group with attention disorders had troughs on Coding an d Arithmetic. The results suggest that Kaufman's Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organisation and Freedom from Distractibility factors rath er than verbal IQ and performance IQ account for the variance on the W ISC. furthermore, the Asperger syndrome and autistic disorder groups d iffered in respect of ''fluid'' and ''crystallised'' cognitive ability .