The Camparison of Executive Functions in Normal and Autistic Children, Considering Mathematics and Reading Abilities

The purpose of this study was to comparing executive functions in children with autistic and normal and relationship with math and reading ability. Present descriptive-comparative study consisted of 132 students (16 autistic and 116 normal). Normal students had been selected by convenient sampling. Because the statistical population was limited, the whole individuals were recruited in the study. Two groups also were match. Cooldige and cornoldy, Key-Math and reading level scales were orderly used to assess executive functions, math and reading ability. Data were analyzed by multi-vitiates analyses of variance. The results showed that autistic children have weaker executive functions than healthy children. Also the results showed that organizing and planning-decision making are more influential in predicting mathematics ability and inhibition. Moreover active memory and inhibition are more influential in predicting reading ability. Based on these findings, it can conclude that executive functions are disabled in autistic children and these disabilities are correlated with their weakness in mathematics and reading ability.