Everyday Executive Functioning Influences Adaptive Skills in Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Objective: Studies have established a link between intelligence and adaptive functioning skills in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Additional studies have demonstrated links between executive dysfunction and ASDs. The current study investigated to what extent everyday executive functioning in a sample of children and adolescents with ASDs corresponds with aspects of daily life functioning, as measured by the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS). Method: An archival data set was utilized for the current study. Participants (N = 52) included children and adolescents diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (i.e., Autism, Asperger's or PDD-NOS) previously evaluated at an outpatient Neuropsychology clinic. All participants parents or caregivers completed the BRIEF and the ABAS as part of their clinical evaluation. Results: Results demonstrated that the vast majority of outcomes on the BRIEF were significantly correlated with outcomes on the ABAS. Specifically, Behavioral Regulation, Initiation, Monitoring, Metacognition, and Global Executive Control were significantly correlated with all ABAS outcomes which included Communication, Community use, Functional Academics, Home Living, Health and Safety, Leisure Activity, Self-Care, Self-Direction, Social, Conceptualization, Social functioning, and Practical functioning. Inhibition, Shifting, Working memory, and Planning and Organization were all related to the majority of ABAS outcomes. Conclusion(s): Findings suggest daily functioning in individuals with ASDs may be influenced, to some extent, by executive functioning. Identification of these relationships may prove important when it comes to developing targeted interventions.