Which Factors Influence Teacher Report of Adaptive Functioning in Autistic Children?

This study looked at how teachers rate daily living skills in autistic children. Researchers found that teachers reported lower adaptive skills in older children and those with more severe autism symptoms. Children with better communication and thinking skills had higher teacher ratings. These findings match what parents typically report, showing that similar factors affect how children manage daily tasks both at home and school.

This study examined teacher-reported adaptive functioning in 248 autistic children to understand factors that influence these reports in educational settings. The research found that adaptive skills decreased with age and autism severity, while improving with better nonverbal ability and expressive language skills. These findings replicate patterns seen in parent-report studies, suggesting consistent factors influence adaptive functioning across different environments. The study highlights the importance of understanding adaptive functioning in educational contexts, as these skills are crucial for real-world outcomes including educational achievement, independence, and determining appropriate support needs.

Results suggest teachers and parents observe similar patterns in adaptive functioning, supporting cross-setting collaboration in intervention planning. Understanding these factors can help educational professionals identify students needing additional adaptive skills support and inform personalised educational approaches for autistic children.

Study type is unknown and specific sample characteristics are not detailed in the abstract. Twelve children were excluded due to age restrictions for the assessment tool. The abstract lacks information about methodology, control groups, and specific measures used.

A wealth of parent-report research shows adaptive functioning difficulties in autistic children, with parent-report influenced by a number of child factors. Adaptive functioning in autistic children is known to vary across settings; however, no research has yet explored factors influencing education professional-report. This study investigated the rate and profile of impairment, and child factors influencing education professional-reported adaptive skills in 248 autistic children. Twelve children were < 3 years (min age for available normative data on the adaptive function measure), so were removed from the analyses.

Results replicated parent-literature; adaptive skills were negatively associated with age and informant-reported autism severity, and positively associated with nonverbal ability and expressive language. Adaptive functioning is important for real-world outcomes, e.g. educational attainment, independence, and support needs. Improving our understanding of adaptive functioning in the education context may support opportunities for shared learning and enhance personalised support .