The Developmental Approach to Autism Science: Considering Cognitive Ability in the Age of Neuroimaging Research

Over the last 75 years, the developmental approach to developmental disability has touted-as one of its central tenets-the need to consider development in our understanding of developmental difference. This idea can be examined in many ways, but operationally and pragmatically, it has meant considering the impact of cognitive ability on our dependent variables and being mindful of the comparisons we make, and in the conclusions that we draw from those comparisons. The argument for considering the role of cognitive ability in our understanding of group differences originates in the study of intellectual disability, where there was a desire to understand profiles of strengths and weaknesses. This profile, or group difference approach, is also common to the field of autism and is particularly relevant to neuroscience-focused work. While many autistic people do not have co-occurring intellectual disability, IQ differences between groups can still obscure findings. Here, we aim to highlight reasons why the consideration of cognitive ability in neuroscience research on autism is relevant and critical to the field.