Relationship of daily living measures and intelligence in autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the current study is to assess the relationship between intelligence and adaptive functioning in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method: Participant mean age was 20.5 (SD = 2.0). Of the 20 participants, 16 were male, and 17 white, non-Hispanic/Latina/o/x. Participants were administered a full battery assessing cognitive ability (WAIS-IV and WIAT-III) and adaptive functioning (SIB-R). A multivariate lasso regression model was used followed up by univariate lasso regressions for significant results. Results: Intelligence was found to be significantly related to adaptive functioning. Specifically, the adaptive functioning subscale of social interaction and communication was significantly positively related to oral language and reading comprehension and fluency and had an interaction effect with verbal, perceptual, and working memory subscales of the WAIS-IV. Conclusion: The current study added to the literature confirming the relationship between intelligence and adaptive functioning in adults with ASD. The relationship between oral language and reading and comprehension skills with social interaction and communication was further influenced by scores in verbal ability, perceptual ability, and working memory. This finding will help inform intervention and successful transition plans for adults with ASD.