According to the WASI, seven participants had a full-scale IQ in the range 85-115,
eleven in the range 116-130, and two above 130. The group’s mean full-scale IQ was 118.
Verbal IQs ranged from 95 to 131 (mean 115) and performance IQs from 87 to 136 (mean
117).
Socioeconomic status was rated on the Registrar General’s five-category scale
(OPCS, 1990), according to parents’ professions; where there was a disparity between
parents, the higher rating was taken. Participants’ professions were not used because of
the frequent difficulties in education and employment experienced by adults with HFA.
Four participants’ parents were rated as social class 1 (professional), ten as social class 2
(intermediate) and six as social class 3 (skilled manual and non-manual). None were rated
as social classes 4 or 5 (semi-skilled or unskilled). Five participants were currently
married or cohabiting, and a further four were divorced or separated. Four participants had
children.
On the ADOS, the criteria for a diagnosis of autism are as follows (autism
spectrum criteria given in brackets): 3 (2) points in Communication, 6 (4) points in
Reciprocal Social Interaction and a total of 10 (7) points. Ten participants met criteria for
autism and six for autism spectrum disorder. The remaining four participants all missed
autism spectrum criteria by one point. Two of them met criteria for both Communication
and Reciprocal Social Interaction but their total was one point below the threshold, while
the other two met criteria for Reciprocal Social Interaction and the total score, but only
scored one point in Communication.
It is worth noting that many of the participants had additional psychiatric
diagnoses, as is to be expected in this population, although the proportion was slightly
higher than has been reported elsewhere (Barnard, Harvey, Prior & Potter, 2001; Green,
Gilchrist, Burton & Cox, 2000; Tantam, 2000). Only five participants reported that they
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