title: Real-World Executive Functions in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Profiles of Impairment and Associations with Adaptive Functioning and Co-morbid Anxiety and Depression.
abstract: Although executive functioning (EF) difficulties are well documented among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), little is known about real-world measures of EF among adults with ASD. Therefore, this study examined parent-reported real-world EF problems among 35 adults with ASD without intellectual disability and their correlations with adaptive functioning and co-morbid anxiety and depression symptomatology. A variable EF profile was found with prominent deficits occurring in flexibility and metacognition. Flexibility problems were associated with anxiety-related symptoms while metacognition difficulties were associated with depression symptoms and impaired adaptive functioning (though the metacognition-adaptive functioning relationship was moderated by ADHD symptoms). These persistent EF problems are predictors of broader functioning and therefore remain an important treatment target among adults with ASD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, George Washington University, 2115 G Street NW, Room 201, Washington, DC, 20052, USA. gwallac1@gwu.edu.|Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. gwallac1@gwu.edu.
authors.forename: Gregory L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.affiliation: Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kenworthy
authors.affiliation: Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Cara E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Pugliese
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Haroon S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Popal
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Emily I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, George Washington University, 2115 G Street NW, Room 201, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brodsky
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adaptive functioning; Adult; Anxiety; Autism; Depression; Executive function