Discrepancies between academic achievement and intellectual ability in higher-functioning school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder.
In higher-functioning ASD, expect wide gaps between IQ and actual school achievement—check reading early and target social skills by age 6.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Estes et al. (2011) looked at higher-functioning 9-year-olds with autism. They compared each child's real reading and math scores to the scores their IQ said they should reach.
The team also asked whether social skills at age 6 predicted later reading success.
What they found
Most kids scored either way above or way below their IQ-predicted level. Very few hit the predicted mark.
Children with stronger social skills at 6 were the ones who later read well, no matter their IQ.
How this fits with other research
Mayes et al. (2003) first mapped the uneven IQ profiles in autistic students. Annette's 2011 study builds on that by showing the same unevenness shows up in real classroom work.
May et al. (2013) narrowed the lens: after IQ is controlled, poor attention-switching explains math gaps. Together the papers say, 'Check both social skills and attention when grades dip.'
Ratcliffe et al. (2015) widened the lens: weak social skills at 6-7 predict later mental-health problems. The 2011 reading link and the 2015 mental-health link make social-skills training a double win.
Why it matters
Don't trust IQ alone to forecast report-card success. Screen early reading by second grade and run social-skills groups before age 6. Targeting social deficits now can lift both literacy and emotional health later.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Academic achievement patterns and their relationships with intellectual ability, social abilities, and problem behavior are described in a sample of 30 higher-functioning, 9-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both social abilities and problem behavior have been found to be predictive of academic achievement in typically developing children but this has not been well studied in children with ASD. Participants were tested for academic achievement and intellectual ability at age 9. Problem behaviors were assessed through parent report and social functioning through teacher report at age 6 and 9. Significant discrepancies between children's actual academic achievement and their expected achievement based on their intellectual ability were found in 27 of 30 (90%) children. Both lower than expected and higher than expected achievement was observed. Children with improved social skills at age 6 demonstrated higher levels of academic achievement, specifically word reading, at age 9. No relationship was found between children's level of problem behavior and level of academic achievement. These results suggest that the large majority of higher-functioning children with ASD show discrepancies between actual achievement levels and levels predicted by their intellectual ability. In some cases, children are achieving higher than expected, whereas in others, they are achieving lower than expected. Improved social abilities may contribute to academic achievement. Future studies should further explore factors that can promote strong academic achievement, including studies that examine whether intervention to improve social functioning can support academic achievement in children with ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2011 · doi:10.1007/s10803-010-1127-3