Functional abilities and neuropsychological dysfunctions in young children with autism and with intellectual disabilities

The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the association between early functional abilities and neuropsychological dysfunction (including dysregulation of activity) in 12 children with intellectual disabilities (ID group) and in 12 children with autism-spectrum disorders and ID (ASD group) matched on their developmental age (18 months). First, in both clinical groups, overall dysregulation was negatively correlated with functional abilities. Only in the ASD group was overall neuropsychological dysfunction negatively correlated with functional abilities. Second, data for variability in patterns of negative links between functional abilities and respectively types of dysregulation and dysfunctions in neuropsychological functions (attention, perception, association, regulation) between the two groups were obtained. Correlations were more numerous and intense within the ASD group than the ID group. Cluster analysis by total number of cases allowed differentiation between the two groups according to diagnosis, total dysfunction and total dysregulation, but not according to total-functional abilities or chronological age. When the same analysis was applied within each group separately, children with ASD could be differentiated into two sub-groups, variously, according to total dysfunction, total dysregulation and total-functional abilities. Children with ID could be differentiated into two sub-groups according to total dysfunction only. So, this study showed the possibility of early discrimination of atypical children according to the individual dynamic of links between their daily-life functional abilities, their neuropsychological dysfunction and their dysregulation during their activities, using new instruments of assessments. (C) 2008 Association ALTER. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.