IQ profiles and clinical symptoms of Chinese school-aged boys with autism spectrum disorder

Background and objective: The cognitive abilities of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) vary widely, but studies have not yet examined Chinese school-aged boys with ASD in a systematic way. This study aims to explore the IQ profile of Chinese school-aged boys with ASD; and the correlation of IQ and related symptoms. Methods: Thirty-one boys with ASD and forty-eight typically developing (TD) boys were examined using the WISC-IV Chinese version. The relationship between IQ index scores and ASD symptoms was explored. Results: For boys with ASD, in comparison to the TD Group, significantly lower scores were found for the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Processing Speed Index (PSI) and Full Scale IQ (FSIQ). Examination of the Verbal IQ-Nonverbal IQ pattern across groups revealed differences between the ASD and the TD groups (x(2) = 13.282, p=.001). For the ASD sample, a negative correlation was observed between all the Index scores and the Level & Consistency of Intellectual Response score. Conclusions: Our results indicated that Chinese school-aged boys with ASD show a different pattern of intellectual ability from their TD peers, with equivalent abilities in the PRI and WMI. (C) 2017 Asociacion Universitaria de Zaragoza para el Progreso de la Psiquiatria y la Salud Mental. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.