title: Assessment of executive function in young children with and without ASD using parent ratings and computerized tasks of executive function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current study investigated executive function (EF) in young children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using multiple methods of assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Young children (M = 63.2 months) with and without ASD, matched on age, IQ, and maternal education, were assessed on computerized measures of working memory, inhibition, flexibility, and planning. Parents completed a behavior rating scale assessing children's EF within everyday contexts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant group differences on working memory, inhibition, flexibility, or planning. The mean difference on one aspect of the planning task (number of correct trials), however, approached significance and showed a medium to large effect size. There was also a significant difference between groups on the EF behavior rating scale, indicating that participants with ASD demonstrated greater executive dysfunction, as indexed by parent report.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that in young children with ASD, EF difficulties may only become apparent when situational demands require coordinating multiple abilities, as assessed with scales indexing children's abilities to manage their day-to-day EF-related behavior. We suggest that multiple methods are needed to achieve a comprehensive and valid EF assessment in young children with ASD.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Simon Fraser University , Burnaby , Canada.|b Department of Pediatrics , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , Canada.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Simon Fraser University , Burnaby , Canada.|c Department of Psychology , University of Victoria , Victoria , Canada.
authors.forename: Sarah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hutchison
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychology , University of Victoria , Victoria , Canada.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychology , University of Victoria , Victoria , Canada.
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kerns
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Simon Fraser University , Burnaby , Canada.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iarocci
mesh_terms: D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003201:Computers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010290:Parents
keywords: Executive function; autism spectrum disorder; computerized measures; parent ratings; young children