The school inclusion of students with autism is still a challenge. To address the cognitive underpinnings of school-related adaptive behaviors, 27 students with autism and 18 students with intellectual and/or severe learning disability, aged from 11 to 17, were recruited. They underwent socio-emotional processing and executive functioning assessments, as well as school-related adaptive behavior and quality of life measurements. Both groups performed equally on socio-emotional and executive assessments, and they reported the same low quality of life. However, students with autism exhibited more limitations than the students with intellectual disabilities on complex school adaptive behaviors (socialization and autonomy) and problem behaviors, but both groups performed equally on more basic adaptive behaviors (school routines, communication). Multiple regression analyses highlighted between-group differences in terms of adaptive functioning profiles, which were linked with different cognitive predictors according to students' medical conditions. The greater school-related limitations of students with autism were mostly explained by socio-emotional performance, while IQ (intellectual quotient) mostly explained the comparable between-group limitations. The low quality of life of both groups was slightly explained by executive performance. The role of both socio-emotional and executive functioning in students' adaptive behaviors and quality of life suggests remediation targets for promoting the school inclusion of students with autism.There is growing evidence that inclusive education may foster positive outcomes in children with ASD, improving their quality of life, academic and social development, as well as occupational future [2,3]. The Children and Youth version of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF-CY [4]) has identified the two domains mostly responsible for situations of school disability. The first domain is related to socio-environmental factors (e.g., a lack of accompaniment of children, insufficient teacher training about ASD, misgivings of school staff, and misunderstandings by peers) [3,5]. The second domain is related to the limited adaptive skills of children with ASD. This leads to difficulties in autonomously performing school activities that are expected in mainstream settings [6].Few studies have addressed the relationships between school-related adaptive behaviors and the cognitive impairments associated with ASD [7]. A better understanding of the cognitive underpinnings of the adaptive and problem behaviors is critical to improve the effectiveness of psycho-educational interventions for children with ASD. Therefore, this study examined the relationships between school-related adaptive functioning and cognitive functioning in children with ASD.
Adaptive Functioning and Adaptive Behaviors in ASDAdaptive functioning refers to the conceptual, social and practical skills that allow individuals to adapt to their environment and for functioning in their daily life [8]...