Language, social, and executive functions in high functioning autism: A continuum of performance

Rebecca J. Landa; Melissa C. Goldberg

doi:10.1007/s10803-005-0001-1

Language, social, and executive functions in high functioning autism: A continuum of performance

Rebecca J. Landa, Melissa C. Goldberg

Kennedy Krieger Institute

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This study examined language and executive functions (EF) in high-functioning school-aged individuals with autism and individually matched controls. Relationships between executive, language, and social functioning were also examined. Participants with autism exhibited difficulty on measures of expressive grammar, figurative language, planning, and spatial working memory. A mixed profile of impaired and enhanced abilities was noted in set-shifting. While controls showed the typical increase in errors when shifting sets from an intradimensional to an extra-dimensional stimulus, this pattern was not noted in participants with autism. Relationships between EF, language, and social performance were weak to non-existent. Implications for theories of core deficit in autism and dissociable nature of the language and executive impairments in autism are discussed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	557-573
Number of pages	17
Journal	Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Volume	35
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-005-0001-1
State	Published - Oct 2005

Keywords

Autism
Executive functions
Flexibility
Language
Social
Working memory

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Developmental and Educational Psychology

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10.1007/s10803-005-0001-1

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title = "Language, social, and executive functions in high functioning autism: A continuum of performance",

abstract = "This study examined language and executive functions (EF) in high-functioning school-aged individuals with autism and individually matched controls. Relationships between executive, language, and social functioning were also examined. Participants with autism exhibited difficulty on measures of expressive grammar, figurative language, planning, and spatial working memory. A mixed profile of impaired and enhanced abilities was noted in set-shifting. While controls showed the typical increase in errors when shifting sets from an intradimensional to an extra-dimensional stimulus, this pattern was not noted in participants with autism. Relationships between EF, language, and social performance were weak to non-existent. Implications for theories of core deficit in autism and dissociable nature of the language and executive impairments in autism are discussed.",

keywords = "Autism, Executive functions, Flexibility, Language, Social, Working memory",

author = "Landa, {Rebecca J.} and Goldberg, {Melissa C.}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors wish to thank all participants in this research endeavor, who gave so generously of their time and energy. We also wish to thank Tracey Brown, Erin Garth, and Marcella Radano for their assistance in data collection. We thank Andrea Schanbacher for her help with administrative support during the final preparation of the manuscript. We are grateful to the Rita Rudel Foundation and National Institutes of Health (PO1 HD 35468 to RJL & K01 MH 01824 to MCG; and MH 52432R29) for the funding to conduct this research.",

year = "2005",

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doi = "10.1007/s10803-005-0001-1",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "35",

pages = "557--573",

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T2 - A continuum of performance

AU - Landa, Rebecca J.

AU - Goldberg, Melissa C.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors wish to thank all participants in this research endeavor, who gave so generously of their time and energy. We also wish to thank Tracey Brown, Erin Garth, and Marcella Radano for their assistance in data collection. We thank Andrea Schanbacher for her help with administrative support during the final preparation of the manuscript. We are grateful to the Rita Rudel Foundation and National Institutes of Health (PO1 HD 35468 to RJL & K01 MH 01824 to MCG; and MH 52432R29) for the funding to conduct this research.

PY - 2005/10

Y1 - 2005/10

N2 - This study examined language and executive functions (EF) in high-functioning school-aged individuals with autism and individually matched controls. Relationships between executive, language, and social functioning were also examined. Participants with autism exhibited difficulty on measures of expressive grammar, figurative language, planning, and spatial working memory. A mixed profile of impaired and enhanced abilities was noted in set-shifting. While controls showed the typical increase in errors when shifting sets from an intradimensional to an extra-dimensional stimulus, this pattern was not noted in participants with autism. Relationships between EF, language, and social performance were weak to non-existent. Implications for theories of core deficit in autism and dissociable nature of the language and executive impairments in autism are discussed.

AB - This study examined language and executive functions (EF) in high-functioning school-aged individuals with autism and individually matched controls. Relationships between executive, language, and social functioning were also examined. Participants with autism exhibited difficulty on measures of expressive grammar, figurative language, planning, and spatial working memory. A mixed profile of impaired and enhanced abilities was noted in set-shifting. While controls showed the typical increase in errors when shifting sets from an intradimensional to an extra-dimensional stimulus, this pattern was not noted in participants with autism. Relationships between EF, language, and social performance were weak to non-existent. Implications for theories of core deficit in autism and dissociable nature of the language and executive impairments in autism are discussed.

KW - Autism

KW - Executive functions

KW - Flexibility

KW - Language

KW - Social

KW - Working memory

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ER -

Language, social, and executive functions in high functioning autism: A continuum of performance

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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