Longitudinal Examination of Adaptive Behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Influence of Executive Function

Abstract

This study characterizes longitudinal change in adaptive behavior in 64 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability (ID) evaluated on multiple occasions, and examines whether prior estimate of executive function (EF) problems predicts future adaptive behavior scores. Compared to standardized estimates for their developmental stage, adaptive behavior in most participants was impaired and did not improve over time. Prior EF predicted later adaptive behavior in daily living skills and socialization domains after controlling for age and IQ. Self-monitoring behaviors robustly predicted later adaptive behavior in all domains (d = 0.60-0.94). Results support targeting treatment of adaptive skills in ASD, as well as the importance of assessing for EF problems that may contribute to adaptive behavior difficulties.

Everyday executive function predicts adaptive and internalizing behavior among children with and without autism spectrum disorder

“…In contrast, none of the individual BRIEF scales significantly contributed to our models predicting functional communication or social skills among children with ASD, though for communication both the plan/organize and monitor scales approached significance. This is consistent with Wallace et al [] who found plan/organize to be a significant predictor of conceptual skills, and with Pugliese et al [], who identified that monitor significantly predicted communication scores. It may be that for both of these adaptive functioning domains, it is metacognitive abilities, collectively, that best translate into social and communicative competence, as opposed to proficiency within particular subdomains.…”

Development of the Supported Employment, Comprehensive Cognitive Enhancement, and Social Skills program for adults on the autism spectrum: Results of initial study

“…flexibility, problem-solving, planning) have shown much deficit in comparison to typical adults (Zimmerman et al, 2016) and similar deficits to those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) conditions (Craig et al, 2016). Studies with adolescents and young adults also demonstrate that executive functioning impairments predict poor daily living skills (Pugliese et al, 2016). Yet, executive functioning is an often ignored target for treatment, and there are no known medications that correct most executive functioning deficits of AS.…”

Executive Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder Is Associated With a Failure to Modulate Frontoparietal-insular Hub Architecture

“…Comorbid EF impairment is observed in 41% to 78% of cases (1), increases with age (2,3), and persists despite amelioration of ASD symptoms (4). This impairment in ASD spans component processes of EF (e.g., inhibition, shifting, working memory, planning/organization) (5), moderates defining ASD symptoms (6), and predicts worse adaptive functioning (7,8) as well as quality of life (3). Current hypotheses of ASD, which posit pathophysiology of network-level dysfunction, target core social-communicative symptoms (9), but leave open our understanding of comorbid executive dysfunction.…”