CHARACTERIZING THE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT PROFILE OF CHILDREN WITH ASD: A PIAGETIAN APPROACH

ABSTRACT

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in communication and social interaction, along with the presence of restricted, stereotyped, and repetitive behaviors. Although widely discussed in the literature, many questions remain to be investigated, particularly regarding cognitive development. In this sense, this study aims to characterize the cognitive development profile of children with ASD, drawing on Piagetian theory. To this end, operational tasks based on Piaget’s Clinical Method were administered to 32 children aged 4 to 10 years diagnosed with ASD, classified at support levels 1 and 2. The results indicated that 96.9% of the children assessed were at the preoperational stage of cognitive development, with the majority (56.3%) at the symbolic substage, corresponding to a cognitive age range of 2 to 4 years according to Piaget’s framework. The findings suggest that Piagetian tasks are applicable to this population and may serve as a valuable tool for assessing the cognitive development of children with ASD in school settings.

KEYWORDS:
Cognition; Child development; Autism; Piagetian theory