Children with Autism Show Significant IQ Increases Between the Ages of 12 to 23 years

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face a lifelong challenge characterized by qualitative impairments in both communication and social interaction. However a new study appearing in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), published by Elsevier, reports that in a cohort of 126 individuals with ASD, IQ increased on average 7.48 points from ages 12 to 23 years old. The study showed that IQ increases were greatest among those participants who had experienced early regression in language skills and had greater communication problems at age 12. Individuals with ASD with a history of regression had an IQ increase of 15.4 points compared to 6.6 points in those not reporting early regression. In contrast to the IQ improvement, parent-reported overall trajectories of autistic traits, while variable, did not change over the same time period on average. confounders. Read More