Abstract
Cognition is an important area of assessment in ASD and other disorders because cognitive performance provides the foundation to which all other assessment data are compared. Cognitive testing reveals strengths and weaknesses in verbal, nonverbal, working memory, and fluency domains. When diagnosing an ASD, DSM-5 requires comment on the level of cognitive impairment or lack thereof (American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th edn). Arlington, VA, 2013). Language is crucial to assess as communication is a core feature of an ASD. Parent report of challenges with expressive, receptive, or pragmatic language helps guide the selection of appropriate language measures that may address important areas such as core language, language fluency, language memory, or language content. One of the authors of this text found that in ASD, the percentage of variance of IQ accounted for by language was 27 % (without significant intervention) (Huckabee, Correspondence of DSM-IV criteria for autistic spectrum disorders with standardized language measures of intelligence and language. University of Houston, Unpublished dissertation, Presented April 2003). Language alone or language combined with IQ is generally considered the best predictor of outcomes (Sutera et al., J Autism Dev Disord 37(1), 2007, p. 100; Schreibman et al., International handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders. Springer, New York, 2011, p. 295). Indeed researchers claim, “Early language ability and cognitive ability have emerged as the most robust predictors of overall prognosis for autism during childhood, adolescence and adulthood” (Schreibman et al., International handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders. Springer, New York, 2011, p. 295). Given these considerations, effective and thorough cognitive and language testing are essential to a comprehensive evaluation for ASD. This chapter provides a best-practice guide for assessing cognition and language, including some of the common intellectual profiles evidenced in children and adults with ASD.
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Kroncke, A.P., Willard, M., Huckabee, H. (2016). Cognitive and Language Assessment. In: Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Contemporary Issues in Psychological Assessment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25504-0_8
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