Cognitive Profiles and Social Presentation: An Early Analysis of Data from the Autism Center of Excellence and Simons Simplex Collection Studies at UIC

Background: Limited efforts have been made to clearly define the relationship between cognitive ability and social presentation in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), although both vary widely within this population. Intelligence quotients (IQs) for individuals with ASDs range from the immeasurably low to immeasurably high. Unusual splits in cognitive ability are common. For example, relative, and often normative, strengths in verbal ability occur alongside visual-spatial processing deficits with high frequency in individuals with higher functioning autism and Asperger Disorder (Williams, Goldstein, Kojkowski, & Minshew, 2008). However, strength in visual processing and relative deficit in verbal processing are commonly observed in Autistic Disorder (Happé, 1994). These “splits” may have some relationship to social presentation. For example, Joseph and colleagues found an inverse relationship between verbal IQ scores and social-communication symptoms of ASD among participants whose verbal IQ was significantly higher than nonverbal (2002). The reverse profile was observed among children whose nonverbal IQ was greater than verbal. Other studies have suggested that higher verbal IQ does not readily translate to better adaptive social functioning (e.g., Klin et al., 2007).

Objectives: Broadly, this study will explore the relationship between cognitive profiles and social phenotype in individuals with ASDs. Specifically, the authors will investigate whether the suspected inverse relationship between IQ and social engagement and interest is present. Further, for those individuals with significant VIQ/NVIQ splits (i.e., a difference of more than 1.5 standard deviations), the relationship between cognitive functioning and social engagement and interest will be examined to determine whether there are differences in the VIQ>PIQ and PIQ>VIQ groups.

Methods: Participants will include approximately 120 individuals, ages 3-28years, participating in genetic studies of autism with a clinical diagnosis of an ASD based on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), and DSM-IV. Measures of cognitive functioning were chosen based on the participants' age and language level, and included the DAS-II, WISC-IV, and WASI. Dimensions of social functioning will be measured by subdomains on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI), the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Participants' social presentation will be compared with verbal, non-verbal, and overall IQ scores in order to better understand the relationship between social presentation and cognitive functioning. The variance of IQ scores within groups will also be compared. Age and sex will be included as covariates in the analyses. The distribution of social presentation by cognitive functioning and by VIQ differing more than 1.5 standard deviations from NVIQ will be assessed.

Results: Results of the data analysis described above will be presented.

Conclusions: These results will suggest whether expectations about social phenotypes and cognitive profiles are supported in this relatively diverse sample of individuals with ASD.