Response Inhibition in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Application of a Computerized Stroop Test

Executive dysfunction theory in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is expalins many features of the disorders in social and non-social areas. The purpose of the present research was examining the ability of response inhibition in children with ASD using a computerized Stroop test. Convenient sampling method was used for selecting 15 boys with ASD; the participants had a minimum an IQ >= 70and were connected to a specialized autism center in Mashhad. 15 normal children, from a local primary school, were also selected as a comparison group; who were matched on their age and gender. Results, using MANCOVA, indicated that there was a significant difference between groups in the Stroop test’s response indices, i.e., error rates and reaction time on the congruent stimuli, with the ASD children performing poorer than the normal children. However, the children did not differ from each other on their reaction times to the incongruent stimuli nor on their interference scores.