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Are There Subgroups within the Autistic Spectrum? A Cluster Analysis of a Group of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 1998

Margot Prior ,
Richard Eisenmajer ,
Susan Leekam ,
Lorna Wing ,
Judith Gould ,
Ben Ong  and
David Dowe
Margot Prior
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne, Australia
Richard Eisenmajer
Affiliation:
La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
Susan Leekam
Affiliation:
University of Kent, Canterbury, U.K.
Lorna Wing
Affiliation:
National Autistic Society, London, U.K.
Judith Gould
Affiliation:
National Autistic Society, London, U.K.
Ben Ong
Affiliation:
La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
David Dowe
Affiliation:
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Abstract

Comprehensive data on the developmental history and current behaviours of a large sample of high-functioning individuals with diagnoses of autism, Asperger's syndrome, or other related disorder were collected via parent interviews. This provided the basis for a taxonomic analysis to search for subgroups. Most participants also completed theory of mind tasks. Three clusters or subgroups were obtained; these differed on theory of mind performance and on verbal abilities. Although subgroups were identified which bore some relationship to clinical differentiation of autistic, Asperger syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) cases, the nature of the differences between them appeared strongly related to ability variables. Examination of the kinds of behaviours that differentiated the groups suggested that a spectrum of autistic disorders on which children differ primarily in term of degrees of social and cognitive impairments could explain the findings.

Keywords

Asperger syndromeautismPervasive Developmental Disordersymptomatologycluster analysis
Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines , Volume 39 , Issue 6 , September 1998 , pp. 893 - 902
Copyright
© 1998 Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry

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