Reliability of the Commonly Used and Newly-Developed Autism Measures.

de Wit et al. (2024) checked vitamin D blood levels in 102 young adults with autism.

They compared each person to a sibling or age-matched control without autism.

Season, IQ, and ADOS scores were recorded to see if any of those factors changed the results.

The autism group had much lower vitamin D than controls.

Levels did not link to season, IQ, or ADOS scores.

In short, low vitamin D was common across the whole autism sample.

Deserno et al. (2017) also studied young adults with autism and found large gaps between IQ and daily living skills.

Their work shows that even bright clients can have hidden health or adaptive risks, so low vitamin D may be one more silent issue to screen for.

Pathak et al. (2019) looked at adaptive profiles in a large childhood cohort and warned that higher-IQ kids often slip through the cracks; W et al. extend that warning into young adulthood by adding vitamin D status to the list of overlooked checks.

Together, these papers paint a picture: young adults with autism, especially those without intellectual disability, need proactive health and adaptive monitoring even when they seem "high functioning."

No contradictions appear; each study highlights a different hidden need in the same age group.

You probably track behavior and adaptive goals, but how often do you check blood work?

Low vitamin D can worsen fatigue, mood, and bone health, all of which feed into client engagement and skill performance.

Add a simple question to your intake or annual review: "Has vitamin D been checked lately?"

If the level is low, refer to a physician for repletion.

Better health can mean better learning, so this tiny lab value may boost your ABA outcomes.