Brief Report: Performance-Based Executive Functioning Abilities are Associated with Caregiver Report of Adaptive Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Manisha D Udhnani, Lauren Kenworthy, Gregory L Wallace and 1 others
PMID 32333300WHAT IT FOUND
Children with autism who scored lower on spatial working memory tasks also had lower caregiver ratings of daily living skills.
Verbal working memory was linked to communication scores. Neither type of executive function was associated with socialization skills.
Key findings
01Spatial working memory performance explained unique variance in Daily Living Skills, even after accounting for ADHD symptoms, age, sex, and IQ.
02Verbal working memory scores were significantly associated with Communication skills.
03Executive function performance did not explain significant variance in Socialization skills once ADHD symptoms were considered.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if poor executive function causes poor adaptive skills, or if they are both symptoms of the same underlying condition. The sample size was moderate (45 children), which may have contributed to null findings. The study used a secondary analysis of existing data, which restricted the available executive function measures to a small battery. Data collection occurred between 2003 and 2008, which may not reflect current diagnostic practices or support levels. The study did not include a control group of typically developing children, so it is unclear if these relationships are unique to autism or exist in the general population as well.
Declared interests
Lauren Kenworthy, an author, is a co-author of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and receives royalty payments from its publisher. The study did not use the BRIEF for its primary analysis, relying instead on performance-based measures and the Vineland.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these associations as evidence that executive function training will improve adaptive behavior. The study is cross-sectional and cannot prove that improving spatial or verbal working memory will lead to better daily living or communication skills.