Exploring cognitive patterns in children with autism spectrum disorder using correlation and cluster analysis

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationships between age and five cognitive abilities in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Data from 210 children aged 6 to 12 years who completed measures of visual motor precision (VM), facial memory (FM), spatial vision (SV), drawing memory (DM), and orientation (OR) were analyzed. Data preparation, descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, cluster analysis, and factor analysis were conducted. The results showed that age was not significantly associated with the cognitive measures. The clearest association was a moderate positive correlation between VM and FM (0.34). Cluster analysis identified three groups. However, the low silhouette score (0.1368) indicated weak separation and substantial overlap between cognitive profiles. Factor analysis suggested three latent dimensions: factor 1 was strongly associated with VM and FM; factor 2 was negatively related to DM and moderately positively related to OR; and factor 3 was primarily driven by SV. These findings suggest that cognitive abilities in children with ASD operate relatively independently, with some shared mechanisms between certain skills. It can be concluded that individualized approaches in assessment and intervention strategies are warranted.