Neuropsychological Assessment in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Purpose of Review Neuropsychological assessment involves the comprehensive evaluation of intellectual, attentional, executive, social-cognitive, language, and motor functioning. Such assessments are used to characterize areas of strength and weakness, inform differential diagnosis, guide treatment planning, and evaluate change over time. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with varied clinical presentations, which can make the design of testing batteries and subsequent interpretation of results challenging. Here we provide an overview of neuropsychological domains as they relate to the evaluation of individuals with ASD. Recent Findings Individuals with ASD demonstrate unique patterns of neuropsychological functioning across various domains. Recent findings related to intellectual, adaptive, executive, attentional, social, language, motor, and autism-specific functioning are reviewed. Summary Clarifying the relationship between ASD symptoms and neuropsychological functioning is critical for differential diagnosis and for optimal treatment planning. Tools and methods for developing appropriate neuropsychological testing protocols for individuals with ASD are discussed.

fMRI BOLD and MEG theta power reflect complementary aspects of activity during lexicosemantic decision in adolescents with ASD

“…The planning and organization required during this step calls on the individual’s executive functioning skills. It has been widely found that individuals with ASD have deficits in this domain, with many studies pointing to the relationship between executive functioning and the ACC in ASD ( Braconnier and Siper, 2021 ; Demetriou et al, 2019 ; Hill, 2004 ; May and Kana, 2020 ; Zhang et al, 2020 ).…”

Psychiatric Comorbidities in Children and Adolescents with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Study on Prevalence, Distribution and Clinical Features in an Italian Sample

“…Test–retest reliability coefficients of the GAC are all in the 0.90s; the inter-rater reliability coefficients on the GAC scores are 0.83–0.85. Both instruments have been widely employed in ASD research [ 45 , 46 , 47 ].…”

Autism Spectrum Disorder: History, Concept and Future Perspective

“…Severe conditions coexist with the TEA picture. Intellectual disability is present in varying levels of severity in approximately 30% to 50% of cases and more than half of this population suffers from a psychiatric disorder such as bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity [23]. Some medical conditions are also present, including: sleep and eating disorders, epilepsy, metabolic changes related to proteins and lipids, mitochondrial dysfunction, abnormalities of the digestive tract (GIT) and immune system, hearing and visual deficiencies.…”