The utility of Developmental Quotients (DQ) from the Psychoeducational Profile--Revised (PEP-R) to estimate cognitive ability in young children with autism was assessed. DQ scores were compared to scores from the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales--Fourth Edition (SB-FE) for 27 preschool students with autism. Overall and domain DQ's on the PEP-R…

Although Medicaid is the largest public payer of behavioral health services, information on access and utilization of services is lacking, and no data on the frequency of service use or types of services provided for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are available. As states move toward managed care approaches for their Medicaid…

This paper reports on the developmental progression of a sample of 48 adolescents and young adults with autism who were previously assessed at preschool age and again in the mid-school period. In contrast to the earlier period when about one-third of the children made dramatic gains, cognitive and language skills tended to remain stable or decline…

Five rating scales for screening and detection of Asperger's Disorder, three commercially available and two research instruments, are evaluated with reference to psychometric criteria outlined by Bracken in 1987 ("Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment," 4, 313). Reliability and validity data reported in examiner's manuals or published reports…

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Psycho-educational Profile-Revised (PEP-R). The Chinese PEP-R (CPEP-R) was administered to 63 preschool children with symptoms of autistic disorder recruited from special child-care centers in Hong Kong. Results showed that the scales of the CPEP-R…

We evaluated the predictive accuracy of short forms of the Wechsler intelligence scales for individuals with high functioning autism. Several short forms were derived from participants who had received the full procedure. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the strength of association between the subtests included in…

The psychometric properties of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Survey Form were studied in a total population of children and adolescents with MR, and in the specific levels of functioning (n=826, age 4-18 years). The original division into (sub)domains, as assigned by the authors, was replicated in the total population and in the mild and…

Recent theory and research suggests that weak central coherence, a specific perceptual-cognitive style, underlies the central disturbance in autism. This study sought to provide a test of the weak central coherence hypothesis. In addition, this study explored the relations between the weak central coherence hypothesis, theory of mind skills, and…

Earlier investigations have found mixed evidence of source monitoring impairment in autism. The present study examined three types of source monitoring ability in children with autism and typically developing children. In three different conditions, participants were presented with word lists after which they were required to recall the source of…

This article focuses on postural anticipation and multi-joint coordination during locomotion in healthy and autistic children. Three questions were addressed: (1) Are gait parameters modified in autistic children? (2) Is equilibrium control affected in autistic children? (3) Is locomotion adjusted to the experimenter-imposed goal? Six healthy…

Autism is a heterogeneous disorder that can reveal a specific genetic disease. This paper describes several genetic diseases consistently associated with autism (fragile X, tuberous sclerosis, Angelman syndrome, duplication of 15q11-q13, Down syndrome, San Filippo syndrome, MECP2 related disorders, phenylketonuria, Smith-Magenis syndrome, 22q13…

The Prader-Willi/Angelman Critical Region (PWACR; Chromosome 15q11-13) is of interest as a potential locus for genes conferring susceptibility to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This report describes a female proband referred for evaluation of a possible ASD. Genetic analyses indicated that the proband, her father and one of her sisters, carried…

Previous studies have suggested that among affected sib pairs with autism there is an increase in the frequency of twins over what would be expected in comparison to the prevalence of twins in the general population. In this study we sought to determine whether "sub-threshold" autistic traits were more pronounced in twins than in non-twins. The…

Although repetitive behaviors are a core diagnostic domain for autism spectrum disorders, research in this area has been neglected. This study had two major aims (1) to provide a detailed characterization of repetitive behaviors in individuals with Asperger Syndrome (AS), high-functioning autism (HFA), and typically developing controls (TD); and…

Objective: Study familial and pre- and perinatal factors in Asperger Syndrome (AS). Methods: Hundred boys with AS had their records reviewed. "Pathogenetic subgroups" were defined according to presence of medical syndromes/chromosomal abnormalities, indices of familiarity, and pre- and perinatal risk factors predisposing to brain damage. Results:…