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Divided attention capacity in adults with autism spectrum disorders and without intellectual disability

Hans Bogte

Dimence, The Netherlands, hans.bogte{at}planet.nl

Bert Flamma

Dimence, The Netherlands

Jaap Van Der Meere

University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Herman Van Engeland

University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands

Earlier research showed that divided attention, an aspect of executive function, is limited in both children and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The current study explored divided attention capacity in adults with ASD and without intellectual disability (n = 36). Divided attention was tested using a computerized variant of a well-known memory recognition test, with two levels of cognitive load. The effect of cognitive load on reaction time performance is considered to be inversely proportional to divided attention capacity. The study failed to provide a relationship between divided attention and ASD, contrary to earlier research. Findings indicated that only the adults with ASD who used medication had a divided attention deficit, and that this group had specific difficulty reaching a binary decision in a memory search task. An additional finding was that the participants with ASD were overall slow. Possible causes and implications of these findings are discussed.

Key Words: adults • ASD • executive function • prefrontal cortex • reaction time

Autism, Vol. 13, No. 3, 229-243 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1362361309103793
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