Preliminary study of the cognitive and behavioral characteristics of autism spectrum disorder children with savant skills

Abstract

Objective To explore the cognitive and behavioral characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who possess savant skills (ASD-SS) aged 4 - 15 years, in order to further understand the heterogeneity within the ASD population and provide a scientific basis for better identification and tailored educational and intervention support. Methods From June 2018 to August 2019, ASD children aged 4 - 15 years were recruited from the Child Development Behavior Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University and through community recruitment. Based on skill screening and parental interviews, 30 children with savant skills (ASD-SS group) and 26 children without savant skills (ASD-NSS group) were selected. Cognitive assessments were conducted using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale and the Empathy/Systemizing Quotient (EQ-SQ) scale, while behavioral assessments were performed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Repetitive Behavior Scale (RBS). SPSS 20.0 was used to compare the cognitive and behavioral characteristics between the two groups. Results 1) Cognitive characteristics: Compared to the ASD-NSS group, the ASD-SS group exhibited significantly lower empathy quotients (t=3.59, P<0.05), higher systemizing quotients (t=3.29, P<0.05), and a greater difference between empathy and systemizing quotients (t=5.02, P<0.05). While there was no significant difference in general intelligence levels between the two groups (P>0.05), the ASD-SS group scored significantly higher in the block design task (t=2.42, P<0.05). 2) Behavioral characteristics: In terms of restricted and repetitive behaviors, the ASD-SS group showed significantly higher levels of restricted interests compared to the ASD-NSS group (Z=2.696, P<0.01), while no significant differences were observed in stereotyped, self-injurious, compulsive, or ritualistic behaviors (P>0.05). Regarding social communication behaviors, there was no significant difference in the severity of social communication abnormalities between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusions Among children aged 4 - 15 years with ASD, those with savant skills demonstrate superior perceptual reasoning abilities, higher systemizing tendencies, and lower empathy levels in cognitive domains. Behaviorally, they exhibit more pronounced restricted interests.

Keywords

autism spectrum disorder / savant skills / savant syndrome / children