Everyday executive function predicts adaptive and internalizing behavior among children with and without autism spectrum disorder.
Training planning and self-control skills may raise daily living scores and lower depression signs in autistic clients.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Myers et al. (2018) asked parents to fill out the BRIEF on 8- to young learners. Half of the kids had autism; half were typical.
The team then checked how two EF chunks—metacognition (plan, monitor) and behavior regulation (stop, calm)—linked to daily living skills and mood.
What they found
Strong metacognitive EF predicted better adaptive skills in both groups. Better behavior regulation predicted fewer depression signs in both groups.
The links were the same size for autistic and typical kids. EF mattered for life skills and mood no matter the diagnosis.
How this fits with other research
Terroux et al. (2025) extends this downward: even preschoolers with autism show the same EF-adaptive gap.
Austin et al. (2015) looked backward: as autistic kids get older, adaptive scores fall behind age, and EF slips are the main driver. Emily et al. sharpen the picture by naming which EF pieces—planning and self-control—do the pushing.
Omer et al. (2021) replicates the mood link in kids with motor problems, not autism. Behavior-regulation EF again predicts anxiety and depression, showing the pathway crosses diagnoses.
Why it matters
You can treat EF as a two-part lever. Boost planning and monitoring to lift adaptive skills. Boost inhibition and emotional control to cut depression risk. Both moves work for autistic and non-autistic clients, so add EF drills to your skill-acquisition and mood programs.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add one planning task (e.g., picture schedule for dressing) and one stop-and-calm exercise (e.g., red-light game) to the next session, then track adaptive and mood targets.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
UNLABELLED: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate challenges with executive function (EF), adaptive behavior, and mental health, all of which place long-term wellbeing at risk. In the current study we examined the relation between parent-rated EF and adaptive functioning and internalizing symptoms (anxiety, depression), as we expected that identifying the specific EF domains most closely related to these indices of functioning would illuminate opportunities for targeted intervention. Participants included 59 children and adolescents with ASD (M = 10.1 years) and 67 who were typically developing (TD) (M = 9.4 years) matched on age, IQ, mental age, and maternal education. Caregivers completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of EF (BRIEF) and Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2). Parents rated children with ASD as demonstrating significantly more challenges across most of the examined BRIEF and BASC-2 indices and scales, with the exception of organization of materials (BRIEF) and anxiety (BASC-2). For both groups, metacognitive EF processes emerged as strongly associated with practical, conceptual, and social skills, though different BRIEF scales emerged as significant across the component subdomains. In terms of the relation with mental health, BRIEF index scores were unrelated to anxiety for both groups. Behavior regulation, however, was significantly associated with depression symptoms for children with and without ASD. The findings highlight the possibility that targeting particular EF domains among individuals with and without ASD may not only have direct benefit for behavior regulation and metacognitive abilities, but may also extend to other areas of life, including adaptive behavior and concomitant internalizing symptomatology. Autism Res 2018, 11: 284-295. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: We examined whether parents' ratings of their children's flexibility and ability to monitor their behavior predicted adaptive skills (e.g., ability to complete day-to-day personal tasks, communicate, and socialize) and symptoms of anxiety and depression among children with and without autism spectrum disorder. For both groups, children's abilities to manage and monitor their behavior were strongly related to adaptive skills. Children's flexibility and ability to inhibit inappropriate behavior and control their emotions was associated with depression symptoms for both groups.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2018 · doi:10.1002/aur.1877