Evaluation of Planning Dysfunction in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autistic Spectrum Disorders Using the Zoo Map Task

Abstract

Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity-Disorders (ADHD) and Autistic-Spectrum-Disorders (ASD) share overlapping clinical and cognitive features that may confuse the diagnosis. Evaluation of executive problems and planning dysfunction may aid the clinical diagnostic process and help disentangle the neurobiological process underlying these conditions. This study evaluates the planning function problems in 80 male children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD and 23 male children and adolescents with ASD using the Zoo Map Task; both groups were comparable in terms of age and IQ. The relationship between planning function and other executive functions is also assessed. In comparison to the ADHD groups, ASD children presented more errors in the open-ended tasks; these planning function problems seem to be mediated by processing speed and motor coordination, however it does not seem to be mediated by other executive function problems, including attention, working memory or response inhibition. In the time for planning, an interaction between the specific subgroups and working memory components was observed. ADHD and ASD present with different patterns of planning function, even when other components of executive function are taken into account; clinical and educational implications are discussed.

Planning Skills of Adolescents With ADHD

“…As finding your way in a zoo in the BADS Zoo Map Test could be considered less structured and possibly posits more distracters than building a tower in the Tower Test, it could make a stronger appeal to, for instance, working memory (remembering the assignment) or inhibition (not being distracted by other animals in the zoo). Therefore, our results could imply that planning problems observed in daily lives of adolescents with ADHD are not caused by deficits in underlying planning skills but by other underlying EF deficits (Phillips, Wynn, Gilhooly, Della Sala, & Logie, 1999;Salcedo-Marin et al, 2013;Sonuga-Barke, Dalen, Daley, & Remington, 2002). This is consistent with the idea that planning skills are part of the later developing "higher-order" EFs such as set shifting, whereas, for example, working memory and inhibition are "lower order" earlier developing EFs (Best, Miller, & Jones, 2009;Lin, Hsiao, & Chen, 1999;O'Brien et al, 2010).…”

“…These studies thereby possibly do not detect differences in planning skills or finding differences that may not be there when focusing on a specific developmental stage (Gioia et al, 2002;Riccio et al, 2006;Salcedo-Marin et al, 2013;. Second, studies often use only one task to measure planning.…”

Autism, Processing Speed, and Adaptive Functioning in Preschool Children

“…Salcedo-Marin et al [40] studied the executive problems of school-aged children with either ASD or ADHD, especially with regards to planning ability. The authors discussed that despite overlapping clinical and cognitive features between the two disorders, children with ASD and with ADHD presented a different pattern in planning function performance.…”

Caracterización De La Memoria en Niños Con Trastorno Del Espectro Autista Sin Déficit Intelectual. Una Aproximación Para El Acompañamiento De Los Procesos De Enseñanzaaprendizaje

“…Salcedo et al (2013) por su parte, plantean que aunque la planificación es un proceso independiente de los otros dominios cognitivos, funciona como un moderador de rendimiento en la MT, mientras que Rajendran et al (2011) afirman que cuando la MP se encuentra alterada en el TEA, es de esperarse que también lo estén los procesos de planificación e inhibición propios de la función ejecutiva.…”