This study examined the validity of “weak” central
coherence (CC) in the context of multiple cognitive
capabilities/deficits in autism. Children with an autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) and matched typically developing children were administered
tasks tapping visuospatial coherence, false-belief understanding and
aspects of executive control. Significant group differences were found in
all three cognitive domains. Evidence of local processing on coherence
tasks was widespread in the ASD group, but difficulties in attributing
false beliefs and in components of executive functioning were present in
fewer of the children with ASD. This cognitive profile was generally
similar for younger and older children with ASD. Furthermore, weak CC was
unrelated to false-belief understanding, but aspects of coherence (related
to integration) were associated with aspects of executive control. Few
associations were found between cognitive variables and indices of
autistic symptomatology. Implications for CC theory are discussed.The authors thank all of the children, families,
and teachers for their generous support and participation in this study.
Invaluable help with recruitment was provided by Sue Luscombe, Emma
Glasson, Kathy Ziatas, various speech pathologists, ISADD, the Autism
Association, Therapy Focus, FOCAS, and the Asperger's Syndrome and
Second Step support groups. We are also grateful to Western Psychological
Services for providing prepublication copies of the SCQ and to the Apex
Foundation Trust for Autism for awarding a grant to the first (E.P.) and
third authors (K.D.), which funded administration of the Autism Diagnostic
Interview—Revised. The second author (M.M.) was supported by
Australian Research Council Grant DP0452312.