Executive Function: Cognition and Behaviour in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Developmental Disorders

Background:

• Executive function (EF) research in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) yields inconsistent results.
• Potential confounding factors include the specific EF domains assessed and the presence of co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate executive function performance and everyday functioning in autistic adults.
• To explore the relationship between EF, autism symptoms, and co-occurring conditions.
• To identify patterns of executive dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder.

Main Methods:

• Compared executive function task performance and everyday functioning in autistic adults (n=110) versus age- and IQ-matched controls (n=31).
• Utilized factor analysis to examine the structure of executive function.
• Assessed dysexecutive behaviors and their correlation with autism symptoms and co-occurring conditions.

Main Results:

• Autistic adults demonstrated significant differences in EF task performance and everyday functioning compared to controls.
• While many autistic adults showed impairments, 35.8% did not exhibit deficits on EF measures.
• Factor analysis suggested a single, unifying EF construct rather than specific domain impairments.
• Dysexecutive behaviors were prevalent in the ASD group, independent of autism severity, EF performance, or co-occurring diagnoses.

Conclusions:

• Autistic adults can experience clinically significant executive function difficulties that impair daily life.
• Dysexecutive behaviors are common in autism spectrum disorder and can be disabling.
• The findings highlight the need for comprehensive assessment of executive function and daily living skills in autistic populations.