Relationship Between Intelligence and Adaptive Skills while Considering Diagnostic Status

Abstract

The current study explored the relationship between intelligence and adaptive skills in children without a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or intellectual disability (ID) using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-fifth edition (WISC-V) and Behaviour Assessment System for Children-third edition (BASC-3). Current research has suggested that in children with ASD and/or ID there is commonly a relationship between their cognitive performance and their ability to complete daily living skills. However, little research has been conducted in a population without one of these diagnoses. From the small amount of research that has been investigated with children who do not have an ASD and/or ID diagnosis, the results are inconclusive. This study analyzed the relationship between intelligence and adaptive skills for children who do not have a diagnosis of ASD and/or ID. Then, the relationship between intelligence and adaptive skills was standardized and analyzed in children based on the number of mental health diagnoses they have. There was no significant relationship found between intelligence and adaptive skills in children who did not have a current diagnosis of ASD and/or ID. Contrary to what was hypothesized, when the number of other diagnoses was considered, the current study did not find differences in the relationship between these variables dependent on the number of diagnoses they had. This study did not find significant relationships between intelligence and adaptive skills there was no relationship found between these variables in children who had one diagnosis. Psychologists do not always use an adaptive measure in their assessments for all children. This research emphasizes, that assessing adaptive skills in assessments may provide useful information regarding individual student functioning, as intelligence and adaptive skills were found to not have a relationship. Children may have intact intellectual functioning but have deficits in their adaptive skills, and vis versa. By understanding how children function in their daily lives, intervention can be used to target areas of deficit to improve how children function daily within their environment.