Adaptive Behavior Ratings Correlate With Symptomatology and IQ Among Individuals With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders

Caregiver report on the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-II (ABAS) for 40 high-functioning individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and 30 typically developing (TD) individuals matched for age, IQ, and sex ratio revealed global adaptive behavior deficits in ASD, with social skills impairments particularly prominent. Within the ASD group, adaptive communication skills were positively related to IQ while global adaptive functioning was negatively associated with autism symptomatology. Autistic behavior ratings related negatively to ABAS scores in the TD but not the ASD group. This investigation demonstrates: the utility of an adaptive functioning checklist for capturing impairments, even in high-functioning individuals with ASD; and that a relationship between social abilities and autism exists independently of intelligence.