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Temperament as a Predictor of Symptomotology and Adaptive Functioning in Adolescents with High-Functioning Autism

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Abstract

Variation in temperament is characteristic of all people but is rarely studied as a predictor of individual differences among individuals with autism. Relative to a matched comparison sample, adolescents with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) reported lower levels of Surgency and higher levels of Negative Affectivity. Variability in temperament predicted symptomotology, social skills, and social-emotional outcomes differently for individuals with HFA than for the comparison sample. This study is unique in that temperament was measured by self-report, while all outcome measures were reported by parents. The broader implications of this study suggest that by identifying individual variability in constructs, such as temperament, that may influence adaptive functioning, interventions may be developed to target these constructs and increase the likelihood that individuals with HFA will achieve more adaptive life outcomes.

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Acknowledgments

This project was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH071273-01A1) and the Marino Autism Research Institute. We would like to thank the families who volunteered to participate in this study.

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  1. Peter C. Mundy

    Present address: School of Education, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA

    Caley B. Schwartz, Heather A. Henderson, Anne P. Inge, Nicole E. Zahka, Drew C. Coman, Nicole M. Kojkowski, Camilla M. Hileman & Peter C. Mundy

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  1. Caley B. Schwartz
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  2. Heather A. Henderson
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Correspondence to Heather A. Henderson.

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Schwartz, C.B., Henderson, H.A., Inge, A.P. et al. Temperament as a Predictor of Symptomotology and Adaptive Functioning in Adolescents with High-Functioning Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 39, 842–855 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-009-0690-y

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