(PS4-63) Relationships Between Executive Functioning and Social Behaviors in Neurodiverse Youth Using a Novel EF Measure

Executive functioning (EF) is defined as the capacity to regulate thinking, behavior, and emotions, and is a crucial component of everyday functioning (Kenworthy et al., 2020; Gioia, 2002). Autistic children are at a significantly high risk of experiencing EF challenges (Lupi, 2023). Prior research suggests, that core differences in EF may have impacts on social behavior, cognitive flexibility, and planning (Benallie et al., 2021), which may culminate in broadband difficulties with social communication (Madjar et al, 2019). However, current clinician-administered measures of EF (e.g., the Delis Kaplan Executive Functioning System [DKEFs; Delis et al., 2001]), may not capture how EF manifests in social settings, as these measure task performance and thus may lack ecological validity. The Executive Functioning Challenge Task (EFCT; Kenworthy, 2020) was recently developed to fill this gap by examining social behavior, planning, and flexibility in youth through a semi-structured assessments simulating social experiences. However, only a single study has been published examining this measure in neurodivergent youth (Kenworthy et al., 2020), where findings focused on examining the utility of the EF. This project assessed impacts of EF on social behaviors and day-to-day flexibility using EFCT in racial and ethnically diverse neurodiverse youth.

Sixty-one youth between the ages 6 to 17 (M=10.77, SD=2.32 ; 54.1% male; 34 autistic; 52.5% white, 6.6% black, 11.5% Asian/South Asian/MEN, 23% Biracial) completed the EFCT (flexibility and planning) with a trained examiner, and parents completed measures of autistic traits (Social Responsiveness Scale-2 [SRS-2]; Constantino & Gruber, 2012). Both parents and youth completed a measure of day-to-day flexibility (Flexibility Scale [FS], which includes transitions/change; generativity; Strang, 2017).

 Correlations suggest that EFCT planning and flexibility were associated with SRS-2 social communication, social cognition, social responsiveness (rs >. 27; ps < .003). EFCT flexibility correlated with social awareness (r= .36, p=.006). Neither EFCT scales were related to social motivation. EFCT planning and flexibility correlated with parent-report FS transitions, generativity, and total flexibility (rs >.29, ps < .05), and child-reported FS social flexibility(r= .29, p=.032).

Our findings extend prior initial work using EFCT (Kenworthy et al., 2020), that the EFCT may measure a distinct, social component of ecologically-valid EF that is not currently captured by more structured EF measurement. These findings are particularly relevant in neurodivergent youth who may have added interpersonal challenges in novel social settings. These findings are further underscored by significant relationships with multiple aspects of autism-related social behaviors. This suggests that their social skills challenges may be inhibited by their difficulty around planning and remaining flexible in social situations. In sum, these findings provide valuable insight into how EF demands in social situations, may further impact social communication and interaction, and provide some avenue for more thorough assessment of challenges in this area.