Developmental profiles in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children with and without severe intellectual deficiency. Implications for assessment and intervention

Cognitive and socio-emotional development is disturbed in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who are a very low development level (between 4 and 24 months). The question is to research if this developmental disturbance is identical as a function of chronological age and degree of intellectual deficiency. Study concerns 69 children with ASD (9 girls and 60 boys) from 7 countries and grouped in two groups of chronological ages, with either a slight developmental delay or a severe intellectual deficiency (Group 1: N = 39; 1 year 7 months-3 years et mean DQ = 60; and Group 2: N = 30; 8-14 years and mean DQ = 15). Development assessment was carried out with the SCEB (Adrien, 2007). While there were not significant differences on global, cognitive and socio-emotional development levels between both groups, it was noted that the youngest children exhibited a more important socio-emotional heterogeneity. Moreover, there were some differences between both groups for "Affective Relationship" and « Social Interaction » (higher levels in younger children) and "Self-Image" and "Gestural Imitation" (higher levels in older children). Assessment and intervention practices were discussed as a function of chronological age and degrees of developmental delays or intellectual deficiency.