The Roles of Different Executive Functioning Skills in Early Mathematics Ability of Preschoolers With Autism

This study aimed to investigate the differential contributions of core executive functioning (EF) components-working memory (WM), inhibitory control (IC), and cognitive flexibility (CF)-to formal and informal early mathematics abilities in Chinese autistic preschoolers compared to neurotypical peers, and to identify autism-specific cognitive correlates for targeted support.

A total of 130 preschoolers (autistic: n = 83; neurotypical: n = 47) aged 3-7 years completed standardized EF and mathematics assessments. To examine the unique contribution of EF skills to early mathematics ability, a three-step hierarchical regression was performed for each group. Step 1 included age and gender; step 2 added nonverbal IQ and verbal comprehension; and step 3 incorporated core EF skills (WM, IC, and CF) to assess their predictive power beyond the demographic and general cognitive factors.

Autistic children had significantly lower EF and mathematics scores than their neurotypical peers (ps < 0.01). WM and CF were positively correlated with mathematics abilities in both groups (βs = 0.42-0.82, ps < 0.001), while IC was uniquely correlated with mathematics abilities in the autistic group (β = 0.58-0.73, p < 0.001). Crucially, EF components collectively explained significantly greater variance in informal mathematics in the autistic group (ΔR²=0.065, p < 0.001) than in the neurotypical group (ΔR²=0.027, p = 0.116) after accounting for covariates.

IC is identified as a cognitive correlate characteristic of autism, and EF profiles predict mathematical development differently in autistic children than in neurotypical children. These findings highlight the need for EF-profile-targeted supports in early math instruction for autistic children, offering the first integrated evidence of the tripartite EF model's role in their mathematical development.