Executive function predicts theory of mind but not social verbal communication in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder

Kouklari, Evangelia-Chrysanthi; Tsermentseli, Stella; Auyeung, Bonnie · 2018 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2018.02.015

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (DOI — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This study investigates the relationship between Executive Function (EF) and social cognition in school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), specifically examining whether EF predicts Theory of Mind (ToM) and social verbal communication. While previous research has established links between EF and ToM in early childhood, less is known about these associations in middle childhood or their impact on social communication when using performance-based rather than parent-report measures. The authors aimed to determine if EF deficits contribute to ToM and social communication impairments in ASD relative to neurotypical controls. The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study involving 64 matched participants aged 8–12 years: 32 children with ASD and 32 typically developing controls. Participants were assessed using performance-based measures for three core EF components: inhibition (Delis-Kaplan Word/Colour Interference), cognitive flexibility (Delis-Kaplan Sorting Test), and working memory (Digit Recall tasks). ToM was measured using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test, which assesses mental state and emotion recognition. Social verbal communication was evaluated using the Children’s Communication Checklist, a parent-report questionnaire. Statistical analyses included MANCOVA for group differences and hierarchical regression to predict ToM and communication scores, controlling for age and Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ). Results indicated significant group differences in selective EF skills and social communication. Children with ASD performed significantly worse than controls on inhibition and cognitive flexibility tasks but showed no significant differences in working memory. Similarly, the ASD group exhibited significantly lower social verbal communication scores, while no significant group difference was found in ToM mental state/emotion recognition. Crucially, regression analyses revealed that working memory significantly predicted ToM performance in both groups, accounting for additional variance beyond age and IQ. However, no EF component significantly predicted social verbal communication scores. Correlational analyses further showed that in the ASD group, ToM remained significantly correlated with inhibition and working memory even after controlling for age and IQ, whereas these correlations disappeared in the control group. The findings suggest that EF and ToM remain associated in middle childhood, with working memory serving as a crucial predictor of ToM abilities in children with ASD. This supports the theory that EF and ToM share overlapping cognitive demands, such as the need to inhibit one’s own perspective and hold multiple viewpoints in mind. Conversely, the lack of association between performance-based EF and social verbal communication implies that EF may not directly drive pragmatic language deficits in this age group, or that parent-report measures capture different constructs than performance-based tasks. These results highlight the importance of examining specific EF components and ToM facets beyond preschool years to better understand the developmental trajectory of social-cognitive impairments in ASD.

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed.

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• executive function