Can Autism and Asperger Syndrome Be Distinguished According to Motor Abilities and Perceptual Processing Speed? (original) (raw)

Abstract

Background: On the autistic spectrum, autism and Asperger syndrome are distinguished with respect to early speech abilities. Speech onset delays and/or certain speech atypicalities are specific to autistics and distinguish them from Asperger individuals. Other reported demarcating features are perceptual and motor skills, with autistics displaying visuo-perceptual peaks and Asperger displaying motor clumsiness. Objectives: To investigate whether autistic spectrum individuals stratified on the basis of speech development atypicalities also differ on perceptual and motor variables. Methods: 30 typically developing, 18 autistic and 17 Asperger (based on clinical diagnosis and speech abilities) participants were assessed with a) an intelligence battery including the Wechsler’s scale of intelligence and the Raven Progressive Matrices b) a motor battery including the Purdue Pegboard and the Annett Peg Moving tests that measure gross and fine motor skills, dexterity, bi-manual and hand-eye...

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