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Executive Functioning in Children with Asperger Syndrome, ADHD-Combined Type, ADHD-Predominately Inattentive Type, and Controls

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Abstract

The purpose of the study was to evaluate neuropsychological and behavioral rating measures of executive functions (EF) in children with two subtypes of ADHD, Asperger syndrome (AS), and controls. Relative to the control group, the clinical groups experienced more difficulty in EF. The AS group showed the most difficulty in emotional control, behavioral regulation, fluid reasoning, and planning compared to the ADHD groups. Number of symptoms of ADHD or AS was found to be significantly related to ratings of difficulty with behavior regulation, metacognition, and general behavioral regulation across the sample. These findings indicate that children with AS or ADHD may have a differing EF profile and thus, may respond differentially to interventions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, Consortium for Neurodevelopmental Study, Michigan State University, 321 A West Fee Hall, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Margaret Semrud-Clikeman

  2. Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA

    Jenifer Walkowiak

  3. Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA

    Alison Wilkinson

  4. Miami Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL, USA

    Brianne Butcher

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  1. Margaret Semrud-Clikeman
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  2. Jenifer Walkowiak
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  3. Alison Wilkinson
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  4. Brianne Butcher
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Correspondence to Margaret Semrud-Clikeman.

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Semrud-Clikeman, M., Walkowiak, J., Wilkinson, A. et al. Executive Functioning in Children with Asperger Syndrome, ADHD-Combined Type, ADHD-Predominately Inattentive Type, and Controls. J Autism Dev Disord 40, 1017–1027 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-0951-9

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