Effects of autistic traits on social and school adjustment in children and adolescents: the moderating roles of age and gender.
Autistic-like social quirks hurt school life most for boys and older girls, but warm organized classrooms can soften the blow.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Hsiao et al. (2013) looked at kids in regular schools who had some autistic-like social quirks but no autism diagnosis.
They asked whether these quirks hurt grades, behavior, and friendships.
They also checked if age or gender changed the link.
What they found
More social quirks meant lower grades, more behavior write-ups, and fewer friends.
The link was strongest for boys and for older girls.
Younger girls showed almost no extra risk.
How this fits with other research
Oppenheim et al. (2025) flips the script: high classroom warmth and clear routines cut social problems for autistic preschool boys. Mei-Ni shows risk; David shows protection.
Kiep et al. (2017) helps explain the gender gap. Girls camouflage social gaps by hovering near peers, so teachers may miss their struggle. Boys stay alone, making risk obvious.
Waizbard-Bartov et al. (2022) updates the story: half of autistic kids see symptom severity change between ages 3-11. Static trait scores may under- or over-estimate real-time school risk.
Why it matters
You can’t assume a quiet girl with average grades is fine. Ask about friendships and lunchtime seating. For boys, watch for rule breaking that masks social confusion. Boost classroom warmth and clear routines now; David et al. show this buffer works even for diagnosed kids. Plan to re-screen traits each year; Einat et al. show they can shift.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study examined the associations between children's and adolescents' autistic-like social deficits and school and social adjustment as well as the moderating roles of age and gender in these associations. The sample consisted of 1321 students (48.7% boys) in Grade 1 to Grade 8 from northern Taiwan. Children's and adolescents' autistic-like social deficits were assessed using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and their school and social adjustment (i.e., academic performance, negative attitudes toward schoolwork/teachers/classmates, behavioral problems at schools, negative peer relationships, and problems with peers) were assessed using the Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents (SAICA). Both measures were completed by the mothers of the participants. Results from the linear mixed models demonstrated that autistic-like social deficits were associated with poor academic performance, negative attitudes toward schoolwork, teachers, and classmates, behavioral problems at schools, negative peer relationships, and problematic peer interactions. Moreover, gender and/or age moderated the associations between autistic-like social deficits and school and social adjustment problems. For example, autistic-like social deficits were more strongly related to negative school attitude, school social problems, and negative peer relationships in boys than in girls. Further, autistic-like social deficits were more strongly related to problems with peers in older girls than in older boys or younger children (regardless of gender). In conclusion, the present study suggests that autistic-like social deficits may place children and adolescents at increased risk for social and school maladjustment and that the extent of maladjustment may vary with the child's age and gender and the domains of adjustment under discussion.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2013 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2012.08.001