Microanalysis of Daily Living Skills in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder without an intellectual disability.
Meredith Glover, Melissa Liddle, Carrie Fassler and 1 others
PMID 35437677WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescents with autism and average intelligence showed daily living skills far below age expectations.
Money management, cooking, and hygiene were major challenges. Communication was a relative strength, but overall adaptive skills lagged significantly behind cognitive ability.
Key findings
01Daily Living Skills scores were significantly lower than Communication scores, and all domain scores fell well below the average range.
02Managing money, earning money, and traveling were identified as challenging areas, while basic personal hygiene and safety awareness were emerging or mastered.
03Higher autism symptom severity was associated with lower community skills, while older age was associated with better daily living skills across all areas.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat 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 show how skills develop over time in individual patients. Results rely entirely on parent report, which may not capture the adolescent's actual performance in different environments. The VABS-3 does not assess advanced adolescent hygiene skills like shaving or deodorant use. Participants had an IQ of 70 or higher, so findings may not apply to those with intellectual disability.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that because a patient has average intelligence and good communication skills, they are independent in daily life. The study shows a significant gap between cognitive ability and adaptive skills, with many age-appropriate tasks like money management and cooking remaining challenging.