Effortful control in typically developing boys and in boys with ADHD or autism spectrum disorder.
Parent-rated effortful control separates typical boys from those with autism or ADHD but barely splits the two diagnoses.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team gave a short parent questionnaire on effortful control to three groups of boys.
The boys were 11 to 18 years old and had either autism, ADHD, or typical development.
They then compared the scores and checked if lower control matched higher symptom ratings.
What they found
Both clinical groups scored lower than typical boys.
The autism and ADHD groups differed only a little from each other.
Lower effortful-control scores lined up with more parent-reported symptoms.
How this fits with other research
Faja et al. (2015) saw the same pattern in younger kids, showing the gap starts early.
Tonizzi et al. (2022) pooled many studies and found the biggest problems appear when autism and ADHD overlap, backing the modest gap seen here.
Harkness et al. (2025) later showed parent-report scales beat lab tasks for spotting these conditions, updating the medium effect found in this paper.
Why it matters
You can use a quick parent scale to flag weak effortful control in teens with autism or ADHD.
Expect only small score differences between the two diagnoses, so look at other data before deciding placement.
If scores are very low, check for combined symptoms and plan extra executive-function supports.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Despite increased interest in the role of effortful control (EC) in developmental disorders, few studies have focused on EC in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and no study so far has directly compared children with ASD and children with ADHD. A first aim of this study was to investigate whether typically developing (TD) boys, boys with ADHD and boys with ASD can be differentiated based on EC levels. A second aim was to evaluate the relationship between EC and symptoms of ADHD and ASD. We assessed EC in 27 TD boys, 27 boys with ADHD and 27 boys with ASD (age 10-15) using different EC questionnaires. Clinical groups scored lower than the TD group on all EC total scales, but could only be differentiated from each other by means of self-reported persistence, impulsivity and activation control. Our data suggest that although EC is useful in differentiating TD boys from clinical groups, it is less efficient in distinguishing ADHD from ASD. Also, results suggest that EC plays a role in the manifestation of symptoms of both ADHD and ASD and that high levels of EC enable children to function more adequate in daily situations.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2010.12.038