All participants had full scale IQ scores greater than or equal to 80 measured with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Third Revision 38. Furthermore, none of the children subjects were diagnosed with other developmental disorders (e.g., dysphasia, fragile X syndrome). Clinical diagnoses of HFA/AS were confirmed by administering the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised 25 and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule 32. Of the 58 participants with HFA/AS, 35 met the diagnostic criteria for AS and 21 met the diagnostic criteria for HFA according to ICD-10 diagnostic criteria 39. Two participants met diagnostic criteria for PDD-NOS; these participants were excluded due to their manifesting different and less severe symptoms than our sample of children with HFA or AS.
