Adults with ASD without intellectual disability show a large deficit in composite processing speed versus IQ-matched controls on standardized measures¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associationalr2·q3·i3large
Currency · newest study 2018 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2023: baselines and conditions change
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i3 The ASD group scored significantly lower on the processing speed composite than controls after controlling for age, race, and education (d = 1.02). → Haigh Sarah M. 2018
Evidence¶
Haigh Sarah M. 2018¶
Haigh Sarah M., Walsh Jennifer A., Mazefsky Carla A., Minshew Nancy J., Eack Shaun M. (2018). Processing Speed is Impaired in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Relates to Social Communication Abilities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3515-z
q3 · i3 · associational · r2
Case-control comparison of 76 verbal adults with ASD and 64 healthy controls, full-scale IQ matched, using ANCOVA on the MATRICS-based composite of Trail Making A, Symbol Coding, and Category Fluency z-scores. The article reports a large effect size, "d = 1.02" (F(1, 134) = 32.36, p < .001).
"The ASD group showed significantly lower processing speed composite scores compared to the control group after controlling for age, race, and education level, F(1, 134) = 32.36, p < .001, d = 1.02"
Discussion¶
Learner Variables¶
- Learning Disabilities and Developmental Differences — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
- Autism Spectrum Disorder — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
Related Claims¶
- The processing speed deficit in adults with ASD appears on each of the three standardized subtests: Trail Making A, Symbol Coding, and Category Fluency — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- Slower processing speed in adults with ASD is associated with greater impairment on ADOS Communication and Reciprocal Social Interaction scores — related
- Processing speed in adults with ASD shows no significant association with SAS-II social adjustment, and only a near-significant positive association with GAF functioning — related
- The article attributes the discrepancy with inspection-time studies to methodology, arguing standardized measures are sensitive enough to detect processing speed deficits in ASD — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
asd-adults-processing-speed-composite-deficit |
title |
Adults with ASD without intellectual disability show a large deficit in composite processing speed versus IQ-matched controls on standardized measures |
description |
Adults with ASD without intellectual disability show a large deficit in composite processing speed versus IQ-matched controls on standardized measures |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2018 |
source_checked |
2026-10-20 |
recheck_by |
2023 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-17 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — haigh-sarah-m-2018 |
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