The Predictive Viability of Executive Function on a Social Skills Intervention in Adolescents with ASD and without Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between executive function (EF) and social skills in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder without accompanying cognitive impairment following completion of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS; Laugeson & Frankel, 2010). PEERS was designed for 13- to 18-year-olds with ASD and without cognitive impairment. PEERS is a manualized and evidence-based intervention designed to help adolescents develop the social competencies necessary to make and keep friends. PEERS is administered over the course of 14 weeks, with each week incorporating a 90-minute session. EF and social skills were examined one week prior to beginning the program (pre-test) and one week after completion of the program (post-test). Results indicate significant improvements from pre-test to post-test for both EF and social skills. Additionally, pre-test measures of EF were found to correlate positively with both pre- and post-test measures of social skills. However, post-test measures of EF were only found to correlate with post-test measures of social skills. Finally, a low reliability of difference scores prevented examining the predictive viability of EF on social skill outcomes. The implications of these results are discussed alongside several limitations and suggestions for future research.