A comparative evaluation of adaptive behavior in children and adolescents with autism, Down syndrome, and normal development.
Autistic kids show a sharp, lasting social-adaptive gap on the Vineland even when total scores match peers—watch that domain closely.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Ferrari et al. (1991) compared Vineland scores for three groups: autistic kids, kids with Down syndrome, and typically developing kids.
They matched the groups on overall adaptive level so any differences would be about pattern, not total score.
All kids took the same Vineland interview to see where strengths and gaps landed.
What they found
Even with matched totals, the autistic group still scored far lower in socialization.
Their scores also swung more from child to child, making the social gap less predictable.
Daily living and communication gaps were smaller and less consistent.
How this fits with other research
Mouga et al. (2015) repeated the same match-IQ design 24 years later and saw the same social dip, showing the pattern holds.
Irvin et al. (1998) later gave autism-only Vineland norms; their tables let you see if a social score is low for an autistic child, not just low for any child.
Fenton et al. (2003) seem to disagree: when kids with autism and kids with other delays were matched on severe ID instead of overall adaptive, their Vineland profiles looked the same. The key difference is matching rule—overall adaptive versus severe cognitive delay—so both studies can be true.
Webb et al. (1999) tracked the same kids over time and found social scores barely budge with age, telling us the gap R et al. spotted is stubborn without targeted help.
Why it matters
The socialization slice of the Vineland is a red flag for autism even when the total score looks fine. Track it each renewal and write goals that close that specific gap instead of assuming general adaptive growth will fix it.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The adaptive behaviors of 20 autistic, 20 Down syndrome, and 20 developmentally normal children were compared using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale. Unlike previous studies, we included a comparison group of very young normally developing children and matched subjects on overall adaptive behavior as well as several pertinent demographic characteristics. Findings revealed that, relative to children with Down syndrome or normal development, autistic children displayed significant and pervasive deficits in the acquisition of adaptive social skills, and greater variability in adaptive skills. These findings underscore the need to longitudinally assess the development of socialization in autistic children and further highlight the utility of the Vineland in operationally defining the nature of social dysfunction in autistic children.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 1991 · doi:10.1007/BF02284759