SEQUENTIAL AND SIMULTANEOUS PROCESSING ABILITIES OF HIGH-FUNCTIONING AUTISTIC AND LANGUAGE-IMPAIRED CHILDREN

Investigated the Sequential and Simultaneous processing distinctions of high-functioning autistic children and children with a developmental receptive language disorder (DRLD). Twenty autistic subjects and 20 DRLD subjects were matched on age and gender, and compared to each other on their Sequential and Simultaneous processing abilities utilizing the K-ABC and selected subtests of the WISC-R. Results showed that both groups manifested a relative sequential processing deficit. However, the groups did not differ significantly on their overall sequential and simultaneous processing capabilities relative to their degree of language impairment. The application of the sequential and simultaneous processing model to the WISC-R provided consistent convergent and discriminant validation for the assessment of these processes with the WISC-R.