Social Interaction Style of Children and Adolescents with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The 'active-but-odd' social style in HFASD flags comorbid ADHD and poorer daily living skills.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team asked the kids and teens with high-functioning autism to fill out surveys. They also asked parents and teachers to rate the kids' social style, ADHD signs, mood, and executive skills.
The goal was to see if the 'active-but-odd' social style links to more ADHD symptoms and poorer well-being.
What they found
Kids who were 'active-but-odd' scored higher on ADHD scales and lower on quality-of-life scales. They also showed weaker planning and flexibility skills.
In short, the odd social vibe came with more ADHD flags and everyday struggles.
How this fits with other research
Tonizzi et al. (2022) pooled 40 studies and found the same pattern: ASD plus ADHD means sharper executive and adaptive deficits. Griffith et al. (2012) now shows this hit shows up early in social style.
Reus et al. (2013) adds that parent and interview ASD severity scores jump when ADHD is also present. So the 'active-but-odd' style may partly reflect inflated ratings, not just autism traits.
Neely et al. (2016) and McGonigle et al. (2014) extend the link downward: even six-year-olds with both labels show weaker executive control and more mood complaints, matching the 2012 survey results.
Why it matters
If a client with HFASD chats a lot but seems off-beat socially, probe for ADHD. Use brief rating scales like the SNAP-IV and ask about sleep, mood, and planning skills. Targeting executive skills and self-regulation may ease both social oddity and daily stress.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Qualitative differences in social interaction style exist within the autism spectrum. In this study we examined whether these differences are associated with (1) the severity of autistic symptoms and comorbid disruptive behavior problems, (2) the child's psycho-social health, and (3) executive functioning and perspective taking skills. The social interaction style of 156 children and adolescents (6-19 years) with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) was determined with the Wing Subgroups Questionnaire. An active-but-odd social interaction style was positively associated with symptoms of autism, attention deficit and hyperactivity. Furthermore, an active-but-odd social interaction style was negatively associated with children's psycho-social health and positively with executive functioning problems. Social interaction style explains part of the heterogeneity among children with HFASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2012 · doi:10.1007/s10803-012-1451-x