Thriving in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability.

Boudreau et al. (2015) asked if teens with both autism and intellectual disability thrive less than teens with ID alone.

They compared two groups on a thriving scale that looks at happiness, friendships, and school joy.

The team also tested whether weaker talking skills and less school joining explained any gap.

The ASD-plus-ID group scored lower on thriving than the ID-only group.

Poor talking skills and low school joining carried most of the difference.

This means autism adds extra risk even when IQ is the same.

Kilincaslan et al. (2019) saw the same pattern in younger Turkish kids. They found daily-living skills were also lower in ASD-plus-ID than ID-only, even when IQ matched. Together the two papers show the double diagnosis hurts both life skills and well-being.

Richman et al. (2001) gave an early warning. They showed autistic kids had weaker adaptive skills than IQ-matched peers long before thriving was studied. Boudreau et al. (2015) now confirm this gap lasts into the teen years and touches mental health.

Appelqvist-Schmidlechner et al. (2020) moved the lens to young adults with ASD or ADHD. They found social ties and everyday skills predicted positive mental health. The message is the same across ages: boost communication and participation, boost well-being.

If you serve youth with both autism and ID, do not blame low progress on IQ alone. Target clear communication—PECS, speech device, or sign. Push for real school roles like handing out papers or leading the pledge. These levers lift thriving, not just scores.