Brief Report: Executive Function as a Predictor of Academic Achievement in School-Aged Children with ASD.
Tanya St John, Geraldine Dawson, Annette Estes
PMID 28889315WHAT IT FOUND
In 32 children with ASD, better spatial reversal at age 6 was linked to higher math scores at age 9, not spelling or word reading.
At age 9, spatial reversal did not predict math scores once nonverbal and spatial abilities were considered.
Key findings
01After other measures were controlled, age-6 spatial reversal still accounted for 9% of the variance in age-9 basic number skills.
02Age-6 executive function and age-9 cognitive abilities did not significantly predict age-9 spelling or word reading.
03Age-9 spatial reversal did not uniquely predict age-9 basic number skills after cognitive abilities were considered.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only 32 children were studied, and there was no comparison group. The executive function tasks were not normed, so scores cannot be compared with same-aged peers. Eight children scored 100% on the age-6 A-not-B task, and the paper notes ceiling effects on that measure. The sample included only children with FSIQ 70 and VIQ 69 or above, so it does not cover minimally verbal or lower-IQ children. Academic achievement was limited to basic number skills, spelling, and single word reading, not applied math or reading comprehension. The sample was 56% Caucasian males, 28% non-Caucasian males, and 16% Caucasian females, and 65% of mothers reported college completion. The study was observational, so it cannot show that improving spatial reversal would improve math.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were declared. Funding is not reported in the article text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that improving executive function will improve math. The study observed 32 children with ASD and tested no intervention. The age-6 spatial reversal finding was specific to basic number skills and did not extend to spelling, word reading, or age-9 spatial reversal.