Piloting a Novel Daily Living Skills Assessment in Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults.

Background: There are a few ecologically valid measurements of Daily Living Skills (DLS)-a critical component of adaptive functioning (AF)-for autistic adolescents and young adults. This is particularly important given that DLS predict outcomes as autistic adolescents transition to adulthood.

Methods: We pilot-tested the assessment section of two modules of the Computerized Functional Skills Assessment and Training program (CFSAT) in 25 autistic ( = 4 female) and 25 non-autistic ( = 6 female) adolescents and young adults to evaluate preliminary feasibility in an autistic sample.

Components of Executive Control in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Examination of Dual-Mechanism Accounts.

Background: It remains unclear whether executive control (EC) deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represent a failure in proactive EC (engaged and maintained before a cognitively demanding event) or in reactive EC (engaged transiently as the event occurs). We addressed this question by administering a paradigm investigating components of EC in a sample of individuals with ASD and typically developing individuals during functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods: During functional magnetic resonance imaging, 141 participants (64 ASD, 77 typically developing) completed a rapid preparing to overcome prepotency task that required participants to respond to an arrow probe based on the color of an initially presented cue.

On Defining Irritability and its Relationship to Affective Traits and Social Interpretations.

Irritability has gained recognition as a clinically significant trait in youth and adults that when persistent and severe, predicts poor outcomes throughout life. However, its definition, measurement, and relationship to similar constructs remain poorly understood. In a community sample of adults (N=458; 19-74 years; M=40.

The visual perception of exocentric distance in outdoor settings.

The ability of 20 younger (mean age was 21.8years) and older adults (mean age was 71.5years) to visually perceive exocentric distances outdoors was evaluated.