Familiality of behavioral flexibility and response inhibition deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

This was not a treatment study, so it cannot show that training flexibility or inhibition improves communication or repetitive behaviors. Many outcomes were compared across several groups, and the authors note that larger family trio samples are needed to confirm the findings. Only 16 probands of BAP+ parents completed reversal learning and 18 completed the stop-signal task, so subgroup findings are limited. Younger probands were less likely to complete the stop-signal task, so results for very young children may be limited. Controls were not related to probands or parents, which the authors say may have biased findings. Some participants were taking psychotropic medication, although medication groups did not differ on primary variables. Behavioral flexibility and response inhibition deficits also occur in ADHD, so they are not specific to autism.

Funding came from the National Institute of Mental Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training. The supplied text does not report a conflict-of-interest disclosure list.

Do not conclude that parents have autism or that training these abilities will improve symptoms. The parents were unaffected relatives, and the study measured laboratory tasks, not treatment effects.