Executive Function in Autism: Association with ADHD and ASD Symptoms

There is substantial comorbidity between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and there are well-documented executive functioning (EF) deficits in both populations. An important question concerns whether EF deficits in children with ASD are related to severity of ASD, ADHD, or both. We examined ADHD and ASD symptoms in relation to ratings of EF in the home and classroom. The sample comprised 64 children (55 males) diagnosed with ASD (mean age = 9.26 years; mean FSIQ = 92). Analyses indicated that parent and teacher ratings of EF (except Shift and Emotional Control) were consistently related to ADHD symptom severity, but not to ASD severity. Thus, functioning in the domains of Shift and Emotional control appear relatively spared, whereas performance in all other EF was impaired in relation to ADHD symptoms.