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The Gap Between Cognition and Adaptive Behavior in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Implications for Social Anxiety and the Moderating Effect of Autism Traits

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Abstract

The gap between cognitive ability and adaptive behavior has been thought to enhance psychopathology among people with autism, particularly among those without intellectual disability. We examined this association by exploring the gap between cognitive understanding of social behavior and socially adaptive behavior, and its impact on social anxiety symptoms, obsessive–compulsive symptoms, and depressive symptoms, among 53 university students with autism (without intellectual disability). A higher cognition—social adaptation discrepancy was associated with more social anxiety, but this effect was moderated by autistic trait (AT) levels; a greater gap was associated with more avoidance symptoms of social anxiety only among students with high AT. Cognitive flexibility and prosocial behavior may mitigate the effects of AT. Potential implications and interventions are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication Disorders, School of Health Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel

    Gil Zukerman & Gili Yahav

  2. Bruckner Center for Research in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Department of Communication Disorders, School of Health Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel

    Esther Ben-Itzchak

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  1. Gil Zukerman
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  3. Esther Ben-Itzchak
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Author Contributions

GZ and EBY and GY planned and conceived the study. GY conducted the application of questioners to the study participants. GZ and EBY conducted the statistical analysis as well as reviewed the paper. All authors have approved the current version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Gil Zukerman.

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Zukerman, G., Yahav, G. & Ben-Itzchak, E. The Gap Between Cognition and Adaptive Behavior in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Implications for Social Anxiety and the Moderating Effect of Autism Traits. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 1466–1478 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04632-y

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