WISC-V Profiles and Their Correlates in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder without Intellectual Developmental Disorder: Report from the ELENA Cohort.
WISC-V profiles flag verbal vs. reasoning strengths in ASD without ID and point to where extra support is needed.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Audras-Torrent et al. (2021) looked at WISC-V scores in kids with autism who do not have an intellectual disability. They wanted to see if different score patterns link to autism severity and daily living skills.
The team used a case-series design. They grouped children by shared strengths and weaknesses on the five WISC-V indexes.
What they found
Six clear WISC-V profiles showed up. Some kids scored high on verbal tasks but low on processing speed. Others had even scores across all areas.
Better WISC-V scores went hand in hand with lower autism severity and stronger adaptive communication. Knowing the profile gives a quick snapshot of where the child stands.
How this fits with other research
Baranek et al. (2005) also used case-series profiling. They mapped behavioral-scale scores to psychiatric sub-groups in adults with ID. Both studies show that grouping people by test patterns helps guide next steps, even when the tools differ.
Cohen (2003) validated the PDDBI for tracking change in kids with autism. Lee et al. extend this idea by showing cognitive profiles can guide starting goals, while PDDBI tracks later progress.
Pitchford et al. (2019) found adaptive behavior predicts life success better than parent hopes. Lee et al. echo this: higher adaptive communication links to better WISC-V scores, so both papers push us to target daily living skills early.
Why it matters
You can give the WISC-V in one sitting and walk away with a profile sheet. Match your lesson plan to the strongest index. If verbal comprehension is high but processing speed is low, use oral quizzes and extra time. If visual puzzles shine, lean on graphic organizers. Share the profile with teachers and parents so everyone uses the same roadmap.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Open last week’s WISC-V report, circle the highest and lowest index scores, and adjust today’s teaching materials to the strength area.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The intellectual functioning of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual developmental disorder (IDD) has not been widely studied. However, marked heterogeneity in assessment measures, samples, and results has been an obstacle for the generalization of findings. We aimed to (a) describe WISC-V intellectual functioning in a sample of children with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual developmental disorder, (b) identify WISC-V profiles, and (c) explore whether WISC-V intellectual functioning is related to ASD symptom severity and adaptive skills. Our sample consisted of 121 children from 6 to 16 years of age with ascertained ASD without an intellectual developmental disorder (IDD). The intellectual functioning of the participants was within the average range. Intra-individual analysis showed that children with ASD performed better on visual than auditory working-memory tasks. Moreover, the intellectual functioning of the participants correlated negatively with ASD symptom severity but positively with adaptive communication skills. Overall, we identified six intellectual profiles according to verbal and reasoning skills. These findings highlight the relevance of WISC-V assessment for children with ASD without an IDD to individualize intervention, especially remediation. LAY SUMMARY: This study examined WISC-V intellectual functioning in 121 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without an intellectual developmental disorder (IDD). We found their intellectual functioning to be within the average, as was that of their peers with typical development (TD), and their verbal and reasoning skills were the most discriminant. In addition, the better their intellectual functioning was, the better their adaptive communication skills and the less severe their ASD symptoms. These findings highlight the relevance of WISC-V assessment in ASD to individualize early psychological remediation. Autism Res 2021, 14: 997-1006. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, LLC.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2021 · doi:10.1002/aur.2444