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Background Challenges in adaptive behaviors are present in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while variation in IQ, social skills, and comorbidities are possible influences on adaptive behaviors. However, adaptive behaviors do not consistently map onto cognitive abilities in ASD, as high IQ is not protective against challenges in adaptive behaviors. Additionally, individuals with both ASD and elevated levels of externalizing problem behaviors experience even worse adaptive behaviors. Identifying factors that contribute to the variance in adaptive behaviors, particularly daily living skills (DLS), may inform strategies to improve adaptive behaviors necessary for independence in adulthood. Method Adolescents with typical cognitive development (TD, n = 84), intellectual disability (ID, n = 30), or ASD (n = 45) were included in this study to examine group differences in adaptive behaviors, identify relations between IQ and DLS, and determine factors that contribute to variance in DLS at youth age 13. The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, 2nd Edition (VABS-II) was used to measure adaptive behaviors. Results All domains of adaptive behavior were significantly higher in TD groups compared to ASD and ID youth. Significant positive correlations were observed between IQ and DLS in the ASD and ID groups. In the ASD youth group, higher externalizing behavior problems explained the most variance in DLS. Conclusions DLS are below age-expected levels in young adolescents with ASD, in part because of the higher externalizing behavior problems in this group. Incorporating adaptive skills training and behavior management strategies into current interventions may serve to prepare adolescents and families for the transition to adulthood.

Background The successful inclusion of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in neuroimaging research is imperative for advancing our understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of ASD. In order to generate knowledge that is representative of all affected youth, it is essential to include participants who are culturally and linguistically diverse. However, these families often face barriers to participation in neuroimaging research, including distrust and limited knowledge about research, above and beyond any challenges associated with ASD (e.g., behaviors, sensory hypersensitivities). Method This study included a diverse group of Spanish- and English-speaking parents of children with ASD (N = 79) to examine the impact of a social story on (a) their understanding of EEG study procedures and (b) their likelihood to enroll in a neuroimaging study. Results Both English- and Spanish-speaking parents who viewed a social story demonstrated better understanding of EEG procedures than parents who read a written explanation, with Spanish-speaking parents also perceiving their understanding to be better in the social story condition. Although parents who viewed a social story were not more likely to participate in neuroimaging research than parents who read a written description, they were less likely to indicate needing more information and more likely to cite their child’s specific behavior problems as the rationale for unlikelihood to participate. Conclusion These results suggest that social stories may be effective tools in the informed consent process for promoting parent understanding of neuroimaging procedures, and useful during recruitment to aid parents in determining whether their child with ASD will be successful in a neuroimaging study.

The associations between student–teacher relationship (STR) quality and externalizing behavior problems in school were examined among 166 children with ASD (82% boys, ages 4–7 years) across three assessments over a 1.5-year period; IQs in the sample range from 50 to 139 (M = 88.7). Unlike other non-ASD populations, the association between STR quality and externalizing problems was not transactional; instead, cross-lagged panel analyses supported a child-driven pathway whereby early teacher-reported behavior problems led to poorer relationship quality over time. Higher externalizing problems predicted increased student–teacher conflict from fall to spring of the same school year and predicted increased student–teacher conflict and decreased student–teacher closeness in the subsequent school year. Child behavior problems appear to drive changes in children's relationships with teachers that follow them across multiple teachers and classroom contexts. The association between early student–teacher relationship quality and subsequent externalizing problems was not moderated by cognitive ability or intellectual disability status. Findings suggest that interventions targeting early disruptive behavior problems may indirectly improve children's school relationships over time.

This study examined relations among behavior problems, social skills, and student–teacher relationships within a sample of children (mean age 8) with autism spectrum disorders or ASD (n = 36) and comparison samples of children with typical development (n = 91) or with intellectual disability (n = 38.) Student–teacher relationships (STRs) for children with ASD appeared to be qualitatively different from those of similarly aged children with ID or typical development. The STRs for children with ASD were considerably poorer, with less closeness and more conflict, than in the two comparison groups. Within the group with ASD, teacher-reported child externalizing behavior and social skills accounted for significant variance in the total score on the Student Teacher Relationship Scale. Conflict was predicted only by externalizing behavior, whereas closeness was predicted by social skills; level of autistic mannerisms negatively related to the teacher's perception of closeness. Findings address the implications for transition to early schooling for children with ASD.