Adaptive Behavior and Cognitive Skills for Young Children on the Autism Spectrum: An Examination of the Updated Vineland-II and Bayley-III

Background: Assessment of adaptive behavior is a key component of a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation for individuals on the autism spectrum, individuals with intellectual disabilities, or individuals with other developmental disabilities. For the second edition of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Vineland-II) published in 2005, revisions and additions were included to better measure adaptive skills in very young children and to capture qualitative differences in communication and social interaction for individuals on the autism spectrum (Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla, 2005). However, published research to date examining adaptive behavior in individuals on the autism spectrum has been based largely on the original 1984 version of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Furthermore, existing research has not examined the relation between the Vineland-II scales and the Cognitive scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition (Bayley-III) for young children on the autism spectrum. The current study investigated adaptive and cognitive skills for a sample of young children on the autism spectrum using the Vineland-II and Bayley-III.

Objectives: This study analyzed the adaptive behavior profile of a sample of two-year-old children on the autism spectrum using the Vineland-II. In addition, correlations between the participants’ Bayley-III Cognitive developmental ages and Vineland-II subscale age equivalent scores were examined.

Methods: Participants were 112 children (mean age = 31 months) diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum who were part of a longitudinal study of early language development. Autism spectrum diagnoses were determined using comprehensive diagnostic evaluations that included the ADI-R and ADOS. The Vineland-II Survey Interview Form and the Bayley-III Cognitive scale were administered as part of the participants’ initial evaluation.

Results: A general pattern of adaptive behavior emerged with statistically significant differences between each of the four mean domain standard scores (t ranged from 3.71 to 13.54; df = 111 and p<.000 for all tests): Motor Skills (mean SS = 88) was the highest, followed by Daily Living Skills (mean SS = 80), Socialization (mean SS = 77), and Communication (mean SS = 74). Bayley-III Cognitive developmental ages were significantly correlated with age equivalent scores for each of the Vineland-II subscales: Receptive Communication (r = .62), Expressive Communication (r = .62), Personal Skills (r = .54), Domestic Skills (r = .42), Community Skills (r = .51), Interpersonal Relationships (r = .53), Play and Leisure Time (r = .38), Coping Skills (r = .41), Gross Motor Skills (r = .37), and Fine Motor Skills (r = .58).

Conclusions: Although it is not a diagnostic tool for identifying individuals on the autism spectrum, the Vineland-II identified patterns reflecting qualitative weaknesses in communication and social interaction for children on the autism spectrum as young as two years of age. In contrast with previous research demonstrating weak relations between Wechsler scales and the Vineland-II for older, typically developing children and adolescents (e.g., Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla, 2005), the current study found significant correlations between Bayley-III Cognitive developmental ages and age equivalents on each of the Vineland-II subscales for two-year-old children on the autism spectrum.