DR. ASHWINI AMBALAVANAN,DR. PRIYA DARSNI MUTHUKRISHNAN,DR. NAVIN UMAPATHY,DR. DEVANAND GULAB CHAUDHARY
DOI: https://doi.org/Background:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are common neurodevelopmental disorders with overlapping yet distinct cognitive profiles, particularly in the domain of attention. Differentiating their attentional characteristics is critical for improving diagnostic precision and tailoring interventions.
Objectives:
To compare attentional profiles among children with ASD, ADHD, and typically developing children (TDC) using Conners’ Continuous Performance Test-3 (CPT-3) and Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch), and to assess the relationship between attention metrics and symptom severity.
Methods:
A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at Saveetha Medical College involving 120 children aged 6–12 years, equally divided into ASD, ADHD, and TDC groups (n = 40 each). Standardized tools including CPT-3, TEA-Ch, ADHD Rating Scale-5 (ADHD-RS-5), and Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2) were administered. Between-group comparisons were analysed using ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate associations between attention measures and symptom severity.
Results:
Children with ADHD showed significantly higher commission errors (25.2 ± 6.8%) and reaction time variability (64.5 ± 16.8 ms), indicating deficits in inhibitory control. The ASD group exhibited the highest omission errors (18.6 ± 6.1%), reflecting sustained attention deficits. On TEA-Ch, ASD participants were most impaired in selective attention (Sky Search z = –1.8 ± 0.6), while ADHD participants showed the greatest difficulties in sustained attention (Code Transmission z = –2.3 ± 0.5) and shifting (Creature Counting z = –2.0 ± 0.6). Symptom severity was significantly correlated with attention metrics—SRS-2 with omission errors in ASD (r = 0.61) and ADHD-RS-5 with commission errors in ADHD (r = 0.70). All differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
ASD and ADHD are associated with distinct patterns of attention dysfunction. ADHD is characterized by impaired inhibitory control and attentional variability, while ASD exhibits deficits in sustained and selective attention. These attentional impairments are strongly linked to symptom severity and functional outcomes. Standardized tools such as CPT-3 and TEA-Ch can aid in differentiating these neurodevelopmental conditions and guiding individualized intervention strategies.
