Ability to Defer Gratification Attenuates the Negative Association Between Autistic Symptoms and Adaptive Functions in Young Children at Elevated Likelihood of Autism.
Teaching toddlers to wait for preferred items may protect their adaptive skills even when autistic symptoms are present.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team watched the toddlers who had an older sibling with autism.
These kids are 3 years old and already show some autistic traits.
Each child tried a marshmallow test: wait to eat a treat or ring a bell to get it right away.
Parents filled out forms about daily living skills, language, and social play.
The researchers then asked: does the ability to wait soften the link between autism traits and real-life skills?
What they found
Kids who could wait longer had stronger daily living skills, even when their autism traits were high.
The negative tie between autism symptoms and adaptive skills dropped by half for good waiters.
In plain words, waiting skill acted like a shield for everyday functioning.
How this fits with other research
Leezenbaum et al. (2019) saw the same age group wait less time than typical peers.
Andersson’s new twist: the kids who do wait better keep stronger life skills, so the deficit can still matter.
Tonizzi et al. (2022) meta-analysis warns that ASD plus ADHD means sharper executive and adaptive deficits.
Andersson’s toddlers had both diagnoses, yet strong waiting still helped—showing a skill target, not a dead end.
Iversen et al. (2021) link poor executive control to more repetitive behaviors.
Together the papers say: build EF early and you may lift both adaptive skills and core autism behaviors.
Why it matters
You can’t erase autism traits, but you can grow waiting muscles.
Start simple: teach a toddler to wait five seconds for bubbles, then ten.
Each success chips away at the gap between symptom level and real-life skills.
Add waiting games to your session plan this week—cheap, fast, and now evidence-backed.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
PURPOSE: The aim of the study is to examine (i) if young children with a family history of autism and/or ADHD differ on executive functions and deferred gratification in comparison to peers with no family history of autism or ADHD, (ii) the specificity of these domains in relation to early-life autistic and ADHD symptoms and adaptive functioning, and (iii) if deferred gratification and strong EF skills may function as protective factors in the association between symptoms and adaptive behaviour. METHODS: A total of 77 infant siblings at 3 years of age with a family history of autism only, autism and co-occurring ADHD, or no family history of these conditions (FH-TL) were assessed on behavioural lab-tasks (EF and deferred gratification), parent-rated adaptive behaviour using Vineland, and clinician ratings using ADOS-2 (autistic symptoms) and ADHD DSM-5 symptom rating scale (ADHD RS). RESULTS: Group comparisons showed that FH-autism and FH-autism + ADHD groups received lower scores on common EF, but not on deferred gratification in comparison to the FH-TL group. Lower levels of deferred gratification related to autistic symptoms, while lower level on EF was specific to ADHD symptoms. Finally, deferred gratification moderated the association between autistic symptoms and adaptive behaviour, in that stronger ability to defer gratification attenuated the association between autistic symptoms and adaptive functions. CONCLUSIONS: These results are in line with the idea that strong ability to inhibit and defer gratification may act as a protective factor for children with a family history of autism and/or ADHD pointing to affective aspects of EF as particularly important.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2026 · doi:10.1177/09637214241229664