RESEARCH ARTICLE
Executive function predicts the development of play skills for verbal preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders
Susan Faja,
Geraldine Dawson,
Katherine Sullivan,
Andrew N. Meltzoff,
Annette Estes,
Raphael Bernier,
Corresponding Author
Susan Faja
Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
Address for correspondence and reprints: Susan Faja, LCN, Boston Children's Hospital, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorGeraldine Dawson
Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics, and Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Search for more papers by this authorKatherine Sullivan
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University, New York, New York
Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Search for more papers by this authorAndrew N. Meltzoff
Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Search for more papers by this authorAnnette Estes
Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Search for more papers by this authorRaphael Bernier
Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Educational Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Search for more papers by this authorSusan Faja,
Geraldine Dawson,
Katherine Sullivan,
Andrew N. Meltzoff,
Annette Estes,
Raphael Bernier,
Corresponding Author
Susan Faja
Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
Address for correspondence and reprints: Susan Faja, LCN, Boston Children's Hospital, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorGeraldine Dawson
Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics, and Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Search for more papers by this authorKatherine Sullivan
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University, New York, New York
Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Search for more papers by this authorAndrew N. Meltzoff
Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Search for more papers by this authorAnnette Estes
Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Search for more papers by this authorRaphael Bernier
Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Educational Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Search for more papers by this authorThe authors do not have any interests that might be interpreted as influencing the research.
Abstract
Executive function and play skills develop in early childhood and are linked to cognitive and language ability. The present study examined these abilities longitudinally in two groups with autism spectrum disorder—a group with higher initial language (n = 30) and a group with lower initial language ability (n = 36). Among the lower language group, concurrent nonverbal cognitive ability contributed most to individual differences in executive function and play skills. For the higher language group, executive function during preschool significantly predicted play ability at age 6 over and above intelligence, but early play did not predict later executive function. These results suggested that factors related to the development of play and executive function differ for subgroups of children with different language abilities and that early executive function skills may be critical in order for verbal children with autism to develop play. Autism Res 2016, 9: 1274–1284. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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