EFFECTS OF AGE AND IQ ON ADAPTIVE-BEHAVIOR DOMAINS FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Researchers have examined adaptive behavior in autism, but few studies have looked for different patterns of adaptive skills according to ag e and intelligence. Domain scores from the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS) were compared in relation to age and Performance IQ for 7 2 children and adolescents with autism and 37 nonautistic children and adolescents with mental retardation. Age and IQ were positively relat ed to each of the Vineland domains. Children with autism had lower sco res in the socialization domain. An interaction was present between Pe rformance IQ and group: With increasing IQ, children with autism showe d smaller increases in social functioning than children with mental re tardation. A similar trend was present for daily living skills. Result s suggest that (a) the relationship between the two groups' adaptive b ehavior profiles is stable from preschool age through adolescence, and (b) increasing Ie is associated with less of an increase in certain a daptive skills for children with autism.