Toward the identification of adaptive functioning intervention targets for intellectually-able, transition-aged youth with autism: An examination of caregiver responses on the Vineland-II.
Intellectually-able teens with autism have clear, itemized daily-living gaps you can start fixing today with video or frequency building.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Bassett-Gunter et al. (2017) looked at Vineland-II caregiver forms for intellectually-able teens and young adults with autism.
They wanted to find which daily living skills were weakest so clinicians could pick clear targets.
What they found
Daily living scores were far below IQ and got worse with age.
The team listed over 100 specific skill gaps, such as making a doctor visit alone or cooking a simple meal.
How this fits with other research
Green et al. (2020) now shows Vineland-3 gives even lower scores than Vineland-II. Expect bigger gaps if you upgrade.
Yakubova et al. (2021) and Li et al. (2025) prove these gaps can close fast. Parents or the teens themselves used short video clips to master skills like laundry or bus riding in weeks.
Dupuis et al. (2021) add that you can save time by giving the ABAS-II first. If scores are high, you may skip the long Vineland-II interview.
Why it matters
You now have a ready-made item list of 100-plus priority skills and three proven ways to teach them: parent-made video prompts, self-run video prompts, or Big 6+6 frequency building. Pick one skill from the list, film a short model or set a one-minute timing, and start teaching next session.
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Join Free →Pick one Vineland-II deficit, film a 30-second video model of the skill, and run three prompted trials with your client.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
UNLABELLED: Little is known about specific adaptive functioning impairments in intellectually-able individuals with autism spectrum disorder. In adolescents (n = 22) and young adults (n = 22) matched on composite IQ scores, this study examined profiles of cognitive and adaptive functioning, and caregiver responses on individual Vineland-II items. Adaptive functioning standard scores were significantly lower than IQ scores, and the adult group had significantly lower adaptive functioning standard scores than the adolescent group. Examination of caregiver responses to individual Vineland-II items identified more than 100 potential intervention targets. Differences favoring the adult group were observed on only 16 items across all three adaptive functioning domains, suggesting that little skill development is occurring during the transition to adulthood. Future research will examine the relevance of identified intervention targets to optimal outcomes. Autism Res 2017, 10: 2023-2036. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability demonstrated impaired adaptive functioning skills (i.e., age appropriate skills necessary for independent living). Development of adaptive functioning skills appears to slow with age among individuals without intellectual disability. Findings clarify the specific adaptive functioning skills that transition-aged youth with ASD have difficulty completing independently and will inform the development of interventions to increase the likelihood of independent living in adulthood.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2017 · doi:10.1002/aur.1855