Cognitive Profiles in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Investigation of Base Rate Discrepancies using the Differential Ability Scales--Second Edition.

The team gave the DAS-II to youth with autism. They counted how many kids had big gaps between verbal IQ and non-verbal IQ. Then they compared that rate to the test’s norm sample.

No drills or teaching happened. The goal was to learn how common these splits are in everyday autism clinics.

Roughly one in three youth with ASD showed a large VIQ-NVIQ split. That rate is far higher than what you see in typical kids.

The splits went both ways: some youth were stronger with words, others with hands-on tasks.

Towle et al. (2009) saw the same splits six years earlier. They added that a big gap often flags social trouble, even when the child talks well.

Ohan et al. (2015) looked at a different gap—cognitive scores versus daily-living scores. They also found youth with ASD showing uneven profiles, giving a second reason to expect scattered scores.

Journal et al. (2024) pushed the idea further. They showed that early communication clusters predict later cognitive paths, so catching a split early can shape your treatment plan.

When you see a big VIQ-NVIQ split on the DAS-II, treat it as normal for autism, not a testing error. Plan follow-up tests that match the child’s weaker side, and set goals that build on the stronger side. Share the pattern with teachers so they avoid labeling the child as “lazy” when skills look uneven in class.