Are the Majority of Children With Autism Mentally Retarded?

Edelson, Meredyth Goldberg

doi:10.1177/10883576060210020301

Cited by 92 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 51 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Along this line, a meta-study evaluating 215 research articles published between 1937 and 2003 with claims about mental retardation found that 74% of these claims came from non-empirical sources, of which 53% were never traced back to empirical data. Astonishingly, most of the empirical evidence was published 25–45 years ago and based on measures of development rather than tests of intelligence or cognitive capabilities (Goldberg Edelson, 2006 ). But even when autistic intelligence is tested with approved intelligence tests it is necessary to interpret the results with caution.…”

Section: Support Contradictions and Unificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Intense World Theory – A Unifying Theory of the Neurobiology of Autism

Markram

2010

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

400

309

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Autism covers a wide spectrum of disorders for which there are many views, hypotheses and theories. Here we propose a unifying theory of autism, the Intense World Theory. The proposed neuropathology is hyper-functioning of local neural microcircuits, best characterized by hyper-reactivity and hyper-plasticity. Such hyper-functional microcircuits are speculated to become autonomous and memory trapped leading to the core cognitive consequences of hyper-perception, hyper-attention, hyper-memory and hyper-emotionality. The theory is centered on the neocortex and the amygdala, but could potentially be applied to all brain regions. The severity on each axis depends on the severity of the molecular syndrome expressed in different brain regions, which could uniquely shape the repertoire of symptoms of an autistic child. The progression of the disorder is proposed to be driven by overly strong reactions to experiences that drive the brain to a hyper-preference and overly selective state, which becomes more extreme with each new experience and may be particularly accelerated by emotionally charged experiences and trauma. This may lead to obsessively detailed information processing of fragments of the world and an involuntarily and systematic decoupling of the autist from what becomes a painfully intense world. The autistic is proposed to become trapped in a limited, but highly secure internal world with minimal extremes and surprises. We present the key studies that support this theory of autism, show how this theory can better explain past findings, and how it could resolve apparently conflicting data and interpretations. The theory also makes further predictions from the molecular to the behavioral levels, provides a treatment strategy and presents its own falsifying hypothesis.

show abstract

Section: Support Contradictions and Unificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Intense World Theory – A Unifying Theory of the Neurobiology of Autism

Markram

2010

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

400

309

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…ID is heavily represented in a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), including Down syndrome (DS), fetal alcohol syndrome, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), tuberous sclerosis, fragile X syndrome (FXS), Rett syndrome, and many other genetic conditions and syndromes with a spectrum of etiologies yet to be identified (idiopathic ID). In ASD, estimated to affect 1 in 88 children by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a meta-analysis of studies revealed a rate of ID as high as 75 % [1]; although more recent large-scale epidemiological studies reflect a rate of approximately 41 %.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery for intellectual disabilities: three preliminary studies and future directions

Hessl

Sansone

Berry‐Kravis

et al. 2016

J Neurodevelop Disord

103

117

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundRecent advances in understanding molecular and synaptic mechanisms of intellectual disabilities (ID) in fragile X syndrome (FXS) and Down syndrome (DS) through animal models have led to targeted controlled trials with pharmacological agents designed to normalize these underlying mechanisms and improve clinical outcomes. However, several human clinical trials have failed to demonstrate efficacy of these targeted treatments to improve surrogate behavioral endpoints. Because the ultimate index of disease modification in these disorders is amelioration of ID, the validation of cognitive measures for tracking treatment response is essential. Here, we present preliminary research to validate the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognitive Battery (NIH-TCB) for ID.MethodsWe completed three pilot studies of patients with FXS (total n = 63; mean age 19.3 ± 8.3 years, mean mental age 5.3 ± 1.6 years), DS (n = 47; mean age 16.1 ± 6.2, mean mental age 5.4 ± 2.0), and idiopathic ID (IID; n = 16; mean age 16.1 ± 5.0, mean mental age 6.6 ± 2.3) measuring processing speed, executive function, episodic memory, word/letter reading, receptive vocabulary, and working memory using the web-based NIH-TB-CB, addressing feasibility, test-retest reliability, construct validity, ecological validity, and syndrome differences and profiles.ResultsFeasibility was good to excellent (≥80 % of participants with valid scores) for above mental age 4 years for all tests except list sorting (working memory). Test-retest stability was good to excellent, and convergent validity was similar to or better than results obtained from typically developing children in the normal sample for executive function and language measures. Examination of ecological validity revealed moderate to very strong correlations between the NIH-TCB composite and adaptive behavior and full-scale IQ measures. Syndrome/group comparisons demonstrated significant deficits for the FXS and DS groups relative to IID on attention and inhibitory control, a significant reading weakness for FXS, and a receptive vocabulary weakness for DS.ConclusionsThe NIH-TCB has potential for assessing important dimensions of cognition in persons with ID, and several tests may be useful for tracking response to intervention. However, more extensive psychometric studies, evaluation of the NIH-TCB’s sensitivity to change, both developmentally and in the context of treatment, and perhaps establishing links to brain function in these populations, are required to determine the true utility of the battery as a set of outcome measures.

show abstract

“…Over the years, criticism about the use of IQ assessments for children with developmental disabilities, when compared to other methods of assessment, have mounted. For instance, in a systematic review, spanning over six decades, a prevalence rate of 75% intellectual disability in ASD, was reported [8]. Edelson, the author of this review pointed out that the prevalence rate of intellectual disability in ASD varied as a function of the testing method used in the study.…”

Section: Iq As An Assessment Measurementioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental Profiling - The Tool of Choice to Measure Deficit, Plan Intervention and Monitor Outcome in Children with Developmental Disabilities

Karanth¹,

Dash²,

Saxena-Chandhok³

2014

J. Intellect. Disabl. Diagn. Treat.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article highlights the transition from a more traditional IQ measure to a profile based approach of assessment, in children with developmental disabilities. Clinically, developmental disorders are heterogeneous conditions, which have made uniformity of assessments across settings, centers and countries elusive. A decade ago, intelligence tests were given priority for assessing children. However, IQ scores had little direct bearing for the planning of intervention. This article highlights an assessment tool that, not only provides a quick understanding of the child's overall skill across eight essential developmental domains, but also offers guidance for intervention planning on the basis of assessment.

show abstract

Are the Majority of Children With Autism Mentally Retarded?

Cited by 92 publications

References 51 publications

The Intense World Theory – A Unifying Theory of the Neurobiology of Autism

The Intense World Theory – A Unifying Theory of the Neurobiology of Autism

The NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery for intellectual disabilities: three preliminary studies and future directions

Developmental Profiling - The Tool of Choice to Measure Deficit, Plan Intervention and Monitor Outcome in Children with Developmental Disabilities

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About