This study compared the developmental status, functional abilities, and temperaments of 31 young (36 to 95 months) boys with fragile X syndrome (FXS) who did not have autism, matched on chronological age, gender, and race, with 31 boys with autism but no FXS. Overall, the boys with autism exhibited a more variable profile of development than did…

This study evaluated the functioning and quality of life of seven adult males with autism, residents of a group home, twice a year over 2.5 years using the Adult and Adolescent Psycho-educational Profile (AAPEP). Results indicated significant behavioral progress across time for all seven men on all sections of the AAPEP, suggesting that quality of…

This study examined the syntactic characteristics of the speech of adolescent subjects with Asperger syndrome (N=14) or high functioning autism (N=13) using a modified version of syntactic analysis, Brief Syntactic Analysis. Asperger syndrome subjects tended to show more complex speech patterns and longer sentences than did subjects with high…

This study used an ABAB design to determine if a peer buddy approach in which kindergarten students were trained to interact in dyads would increased non-adult direct interactions. Data collected on the two kindergarten students with autism indicate the peer buddy approach significantly increased their appropriate social interactions. (Contains…

Twenty-three high-functioning children with autism (ages 5-11), 42 6-year-old controls, and 43 10-year-old controls were presented with six emotion-evoking stories and were asked to explain protagonists' typical and atypical emotions. In the case of atypical emotions, the children with autism performed as well as the 10-year-old controls.…

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…

Fourteen adults with high-functioning autism, 2 with Asperger syndrome, and 10 controls matched for intellectual ability and reading competence were shown excerpts of films showing characters in social situations. Adults with autism and Asperger syndrome were most impaired in their ability to answer questions about the films requiring mind-reading…

A study compared specific repetitive behaviors in 32 adults with autism with 34 controls with mental retardation. The occurrence of each behavior category, except dyskinesias, was higher in individuals with autism and they showed a greater number of topographies of stereotypy and compulsions. Repetitive behavior severity also predicated autism…

Thirteen children (ages 5-11) with autism and symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of methylphenidate. Eight subjects responded positively, decreasing their hyperactivity. Ratings of stereotypy and inappropriate speech also decreased, however, no changes were found…

Birth data for 1,031 Dutch patients with autism were compared to those of the national population. Separate analyses were performed on diagnostic subgroups (i.e., infantile autism vs. other psychoses with origin specific to childhood), gender, and intelligence. No evidence was found that autism is characterized by a deviant birth pattern.…

Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales scores and measures of intellectual functioning obtained for 44 children (ages 4-13) with autism, 21 with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, and 30 with developmental disorders, indicated autism and combined nonautism groups could be differentiated on socialization, daily living skills, and…

A study compared psychosocial functioning in 20 male adolescents with Asperger syndrome and 20 with severe conduct disorder. Results found those with Asperger syndrome had severe impairments in practical social functioning despite good cognitive ability and lack of significant early language delay, and high levels of anxiety and obsessional…

A study compared 16 adults with Asperger syndrome and 10 controls in remember versus know recognition memory. Both groups showed superior recognition for low-frequency compared with high-frequency words. Recognition in the individuals with Asperger syndrome was associated with less remembering and more knowing than in the control group. (Contains…

A study involving 12 preschool children with mental retardation, 13 children with autism, and 21 controls failed to show any facilitative effects of the use of representational and nonrepresentational cues on the performance of the children with and without autism on false belief tasks. (Contains references.) (CR)

Children's Social Behavior Questionnaire (CCBQ) scores from 240 children with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS), 95 with high-functioning autism, 181 with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, 400 with psychiatric problems, and 234 controls, indicated significant group differences on all scales and good test…