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Executive Function Deficits in High‐Functioning Autistic Individuals: Relationship to Theory of Mind
Author(s) -
Ozonoff Sally,
Pennington Bruce F.,
Rogers Sally J.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1991.tb00351.x
Subject(s) - psychology , theory of mind , autism , executive functions , developmental psychology , perception , cognitive psychology , cognition , neuroscience
A group of high‐functioning autistic individuals was compared to a clinical control group matched on VTQ, age, sex and SES. Significant group differences were found on executive function, theory of mind, emotion perception and verbal memory tests, but not on spatial or other control measures. Second‐order theory of mind and executive function deficits were widespread among the autistic group, while first‐order theory of mind deficits were found in only a subset of the sample. The relationship of executive function and theory of mind deficits to each other, and their primacy to autism, are discussed.