Executive Functioning and Responsiveness to Joint Attention in Autism

Background:

While reduced responsiveness to joint attention (RJA) is often observed among young children with autism (Mundy, Sigman, & Kasari, 1994; Rozga et al., 2010), executive functioning impairments are often not observed until later in development (Ozonoff et al., 1991; Yerys et al., 2007). Executive functioning impairments evident by 5.5 years of age are not apparent between 3 and 4 years of age (Dawson et al., 1998; 2002).  Although RJA impairments may emerge before executive functioning difficulties in autism, RJA is concurrently associated with behavioral measures of executive functioning even among young children with autism (Dawson et al., 2002). Relations between RJA and behavioral measures of dorsolateral (McEvoy et al., 1993) and ventromedial (Dawson et al., 2002) executive functioning have been observed in autism. Parental report of executive functioning deficits may capture a wider range of behaviors than a behavioral assessment in the lab (see Gilotty et al., 2002 for a discussion of this issue).

Objectives:

1. Assess relations between a parent questionnaire measure of executive functioning and RJA.

Methods:

Fifteen 3 to 7 year old autistic children participated in this study.  Control participants are currently being recruited.  The RJA component of the Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS) was administered. Parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning-Preschool Version (BRIEF).

Results:

RJA was associated with the inhibit (p = .045), shift (p =.036), and plan (p=.014) subscales of the BRIEF. RJA was not associated with the emotional control and working memory subscales (p>.05).

Conclusions: This study demonstrates the utility of a parent questionnaire for assessing relations between RJA and executive functioning. Interestingly, given the theory that ventromedial aspects of executive functioning, which are believed to be important for emotional learning, are related to RJA in autism, the emotional control subscale of the BRIEF was unrelated to RJA in the current study. A typically developing control group will allow us to determine if relations between parent report measures of executive functioning and RJA are specific to children with autism.