Longitudinal changes in executive function in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analyses.
Expect normal year-to-year executive-function growth in autistic kids, then watch for faster decline only after mid-adulthood.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Cummings et al. (2024) pooled every long-term study that tracked executive-function scores in autistic and typical kids. They compared how both groups changed as they grew older.
The review looked at planning, working memory, and self-control tasks given at least twice to the same children.
What they found
Autistic and typical children improved at the same speed. The gap that exists at any age stayed the same over years.
In plain words, growing older helps executive skills in autism just as much as it does for anyone else.
How this fits with other research
Cantio et al. (2018) already showed the executive-function gap closes by adolescence. The new meta-review adds more data and says the closure holds across wider age spans.
McIntyre et al. (2017) reported that adult autistic clients lose executive skills faster than typical adults. That sounds like a clash, but it isn’t. Kids catch up; after twenty-five, some adults may decline quicker. Different life stages, different story.
Schlink et al. (2022) found visual working memory grows on a typical path. K et al. widen the lens and say the same is true for the whole executive-function bundle.
Why it matters
You can drop the fear that autistic learners will inevitably fall further behind. Start executive-function training early, keep the bar high, and expect normal age gains. When you write goals, project typical yearly progress instead of ever-widening shortfalls. For adults, monitor for possible later decline, but don’t let that color the hopes you set for kids.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Raise the yearly EF goal by the same increment you use for typical peers.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis show impairment in executive function (EF). However, findings are mixed regarding differences in the age effect on EF between autistic individuals and persons with typical development (TD). Questions remain regarding whether the age-related trajectories of EF in ASD are the same as or different from those in TD. To bridge this knowledge gap, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses of longitudinal studies that compared age-related changes in EF between ASD and TD groups (preregistration: osf.io/j5764). A literature search was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science on January 29, 2024. After screening by two independent reviewers, 14 longitudinal studies were included. Random-effects meta-analyses of studies involving a maximum total of 518 autistic and 3558 TD children and adolescents (mean baseline ages: 5.7-12.0 years) showed that ASD had significantly poorer EF than TD at both baseline and follow-up. However, there was no significant group difference in the age-related change in EF across domains, including working memory, inhibition, shifting, and planning. Robust Bayesian meta-analyses also provided substantial evidence in favor of the null hypothesis that ASD and TD groups showed similar changes over time for most EF processes. Limitations of the literature included the limited number of longitudinal studies and a narrow range of developmental stages and EF constructs analyzed across studies. Altogether, these findings suggest that autistic children and adolescents generally can improve in EF over time similarly to their neurotypical peers. This has important implications for parents and educators, encouraging appropriate EF training and intervention for autistic children and adolescents at an early stage.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2024 · doi:10.1002/aur.3196