Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos
Published on: December 7, 2018
ADHD symptoms and learning behaviors in children with ASD without intellectual disability. A mediation analysis of
Belen Rosello1, Carmen Berenguer1, Inmaculada Baixauli2
1Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Valencia,Valencia, Spain.
Abstract:
In spite of its importance for education, the relationship between learning behaviors (LB), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms (ADHD) and executive functioning (EF) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has hardly been explored. The first objective of the present study was to compare children with ASD without intellectual disability and children with typical development (TD) on ADHD symptoms and learning behaviors: Motivation/competence, attitude toward learning, persistence on the task, and strategy/flexibility. The second objective was to analyze the mediator role of behavioral regulation and metacognition components of EF between ADHD symptoms and learning behaviors in children with ASD. Participants were 89 children between 7 and 11 years old, 52 with ASD and 37 with TD, matched on age and intelligence. Their teachers filled out questionnaires assessing executive functioning as well as learning behaviors. Parents and teachers reported on inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity behaviors. Compared to children with TD, children with ASD presented significantly more ADHD symptoms and poorer learning behaviors. In addition, there were significant mediation effects of the behavioral regulation index (BRI) and metacognition index (MI) of EF, indicating that both are part of the route through which ADHD symptoms impact to learning behaviors of children with ASD.
Related Concept Videos
Intellectual Disability
Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
What is Behavior?

