The Difference of WISC-IV Profile Between ASD and TD Children in China

Background:  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by severe deficits in social interaction and communication, an extremely limited range of activities and interests, and stereotypic and repetitive behavior according to DSM-5. Intelligence quotient (IQ) but not the core symptoms have been known to predict outcomes in autism. High functioning autism (HFA) has been used to describe individuals with AD whose IQ is above the intellectual disability range (＞70) since 1988. Many researches reported the IQ profile in High Functioning Autism (HFA). While there is no research about IQ profile reported in China. As ASD children are social deficit. We hypothesis is that HFA children scored lower on Verbal Comprehension Index and its subtests, no difference on other index and its subtests with TD children.

Objectives:  This study aims to investigate the difference of IQ profile of HFA children and typically developing (TD) children in China.

Methods:  The sample for the study was composed of 17 HFA children (14 males and 3 females; male: female ratio = 4.67:1) ranging in age from 6 to 16 years from Pediatric Outpatient of Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine. The children of control group were recruited in Shanghai. The control sample included 21 children (15 males and 6 females; male: female ratio = 2.5:1). The children’s ages ranged from 6 to 16 years. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV Chinese version) was used to rating the IQ profiles of children. All of the statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17.0.

Results:  There was no difference of age ( t = 0.593, P = 0.557 ) and sex (χ² = 0.643, P = 0.709 ) between the two groups. There was no significance between the two groups on block design ( t = -1.808, P = 0.082 ) and digit span ( t = -1.651, P = 0.110 ) . On other subtests, index scores, full scale IQ, HFA children scored significantly worse than TD children. The block design ( =11.24+4.81), similarities ( =11.18+4.89) was higher, while comprehension score was lowest ( = 6.64 + 5.48) in ASD group.

Conclusions:  The IQ profile of HFA children are different from TD children by WISC-IV in China.