link.springer.com

Evaluation of attention problems in children with autism and children with a specific language disorder - European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

️Minow, F.
️Thu Mar 01 2001

Abstract

Children with autism and children with a specific language disorder show additional attention deficits. The literature on the neuropsychological investigation of attention in both groups of children suggests that the nature of their attention problems might be different. The purpose of this study is to examine the attention test profiles in these two groups of children with developmental disorders. Nineteen children and adolescents with autism, 17 subjects with a specific language disorder and 19 control subjects participated in the study. Non-verbal intelligence was normal for all subjects. The “Testbatterie zur Aufmerksamkeitsprüfung” was administered to all subjects. This instrument provides the possibility to examine a wide range of attention functions and executive functions. The results showed that the autistic individuals had deficits in executive functions, whereas the language impaired children had deficits in auditory sustained attention, in auditory selective attention, and in the domain of executive functions. It is concluded that although both groups of developmentally impaired subjects showed attention problems, the deficits are not the same in both groups. The different neuropsychological profiles probably reflect different mechanisms in the pathogenesis of the attention deficits in both types of developmental disorders.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Get 10 units per month
Download Article/Chapter or eBook
1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
Cancel anytime

Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Heckscher Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie Abteilung für teilleistungs- und verhaltensgestörte Kinder Wolfratshauser Strasse 350 81479 München, Germany, , , , , , DE
M. Noterdaeme & H. Amorosa
Institut für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany, , , , , , DE
K. Mildenberger & S. Sitter
Institut für Soziale Pädiatrie der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany, , , , , , DE
F. Minow

Authors

M. Noterdaeme
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
H. Amorosa
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
K. Mildenberger
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
S. Sitter
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
F. Minow
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Accepted: 1 September 2000

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Noterdaeme, M., Amorosa, H., Mildenberger, K. et al. Evaluation of attention problems in children with autism and children with a specific language disorder. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 10, 58–66 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s007870170048

Download citation

Issue Date: March 2001
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s007870170048