Wisconsin Card Sorting Test-can it rule out Asperger's?

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I'm dealing with a psychologist (as per: http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt46219.html ) who just ruled out Asperger's-from his explanation, he did so entirely because I did well on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test: Computer Version 4.

It's supposed to test for "executive disfunction involving preservation, sustained attention, or nonverbal problem solving".

(I'm going by memory here from two months ago, so this may not be 100% correct.) What it does is display three virtual "Cards" on the top of the screen, and then you pick one of three cards on the bottom of the screen, and it tells you whether you're right or wrong.

As I recall, the cards have a color, a number (possibly a number of stars) and I think one other characteristic I can't recall. Basically you have to figure out which "match" it's looking for, the color, the number, or the other thing. It changes from time to time, so you basically have to get one wrong every now and then* and then continue on with the new thing your matching. (i.e. maybe you match the card's color 6 times, then it tells you you're wrong, so you try matching the number, and that's right for the next 6 times or whatever).

I did really well, meaning I quickly figured out the pattern in use. I think I only screwed up once, where I hit the next in the old pattern even though I knew it had changed.

I think I read on here that this test might be related to ADHD-like you can't help but press the button or something. And ADHD has a lot of overlap with Asperger's, but it's not 100% (OCD has a lot of overlap too for that matter).

So basically, is this really testing for ADHD rather than Asperger's? If it is generally testing for executive disfunction and it does apply to Asperger's, is it valid to rule out AS based on doing well on this test?

If it is, that's fine, but I would like to understand why. As it is it seems fishy to me. I'm *EXCELLENT* at figuring out patterns in things...that rules me out from having Asperger's?


*Maybe if I'd been being clever I would have counted the number in a row before the pattern changes, but I was going on 3 hours of sleep

I say do multipul DIFFERENT tests to make sure you are getting your facts straight. I hate it when they conclude you are one thing, then later, they say otherwise because they did no further testing. COME ON!! !! !! !! !! -Power Girl

It sounds like that doctor is an idiot. As you said, those things sound like they are right up an aspies alley.

BESIDES, nothing in the DSM says you HAVE to have such a problem.

Well he did do a ton of different tests, but that was the only one where he said I couldn't have Asperger's because I did well-that I would have done poorly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_card_sort
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_dysfunction

These sort of explain the test. I guess it's used to see problems with the frontal lobes. I guess it sort of is related (after reading a bunch of articles about executive dysfunction and AS), but it also sounds like you can't make a statement based on one test.

I don't know, if I really don't have AS and it's all OCD, that's fine, but I really don't think my OCD is causing all my issues...and I had social issues before I ever had signs of OCD. I'm not even that bothered by my OCD.

We discussed the wisconsin card sort test in my psychology class (that I did for distribution requirements).

I remember the prof saying what it was used for. Something like to diagnose misfunction in some particular part of the brain (frontal cortex?) and that traditionally people with problems like schizophrenia or brain damage usually do extremely poorly.

However, I do remember him saying that it cannot be used alone as a diagnostic, because of the high false negative rate. He said almost anyone, regardless of their mental health or brain damage, as long as their IQ was normal, is technically able to pass the card sorting test, though it may take several tries.

So I don't get what he said. My psych had no trouble diagnosing me and she even said I had excellent executive function. I've never taken the wisconsin card-sort.

Wait a minute? You don't have AS because you did well on a test that involved figuring out the pattern and repeating it?

That sounds like saying that I don't have flu because all my muscles ache, I'm puking up everything that goes in my system including air, and my head aches. That's stupidity.

Ha! As a kid I got to do the that test and according to the results, I did quite well on it.

It's known that executive dysfunction is implicated in ASDs (one theory states that a specific type of ED is the cause of ASDs).

I really don't know how said test could be the ultimate pass/fail unless it was just another straw that broke the camels back in the whole diagnosis. Perhaps said test is a piece from newfangled research in the diagnosis of ASDs in adults (I know the test has been around for a long time). Was it an institution that is specific to ASDs?

No one has given me an executive dysfunction test; I actually went out of my own way to find, and then have another person administer them (totally unprofessional).

Nope, this is a regular place with psychologists and consolers and things. It was a general psych screening, I guess. I just remembered something else stupid he said I'll have to add to the other thread

I have executive dysfunction. Not all aspies have it, Probably the majority don't have it to clinical levels. In fact some executive 'dysfunctions' increase the overal IQ.

If anything many would be good at such the test. There is no mention ASD in relation to the test.


Frontal lobe is a huge area. This concerns only part of it.

I took the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test twice (one for diagnosis and for some voluntary experiment).

My counselor who administered the test said that it is only a small part of testing for executive functioning, but not a good representative if done solely. Individuals that are low-functioning do poorly, yes, but HFA and Aspergian individuals -generally- do well, which is why it is sometimes administered when being tested for Asperger's specifically.

And as several people have mentioned, Aspies are good with finding patterns, anyway. Your clinician saying that you doing well on this test rules out Asperger's may be a little short-sighted on their part. Everyone is different, but there is an overall expected result from doing particular tasks, and you doing well on the Wisconsin Card Sorting doesn't mean you're not HFA.

One test OMG. 90% of the people have a lot more evidence from self diagnoses then from this "professional". Should be multiple tests multiples interviews including family members if possible

I realize this is an old thread, but since it's been brought back up, I thought I would go ahead and reply too. I actually somehow came across this thread after my evaluation and before getting my results, and it made me nervous because I did really well on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (only made 2 or 3 errors). Mine was the paper card version, not computerized, and the woman who gave me my test would stop me after so many cards and say, "Okay, you can't sort by x now, so you need to find another pattern". That made it really easy for me to avoid making many errors.

The doctor didn't even mention the Wisconsin Card Sort when she went over my results with me, and I was given an ASD diagnosis. When I got a copy of my results in the mail, I was able to confirm that I did score above average on it. My paperwork also mentioned that I have some executive function problems, so I guess they must have used a few different tests on me to measure executive function.

So I really don't think they should rule out a diagnosis based on this one test, or even if you don't have any executive function problems at all.

Thanks for the new responses guys! I appreciate it!

At least I know now that that was nonsensical.

This guy was REALLY bad, at best he was a jerk, and I think just plain incompetent.

Unfortunately I've gotten nowhere with this since. I have no idea what to do to possibly get help of any kind, no idea how to get a diagnosis or whatever. I'm just in limbo :-/

I've had more people think I must have it since then too lol

I also think it is odd to rule out Aspergers based on this test.

Do you have access to a neuropsychologist?

I was diagnosed after a neuropsychological evaluation. They tend to be much more thorough (but still have flaws, as do most evaluations).

I was ultimately diagnosed with Aspergers and mild ADHD (along with some language/speech difficulties that I have not properly sorted out yet).

Anyway, I scored in the "superior" range on the Booklet Category Test (a google search has many scholarly articles comparing this test with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task).





I think it is a mistake to rule out Aspergers because of a high score on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task. I think a Continuous Performance Test would be a better measure of executive functioning.