Assessing Functional Cognition in Autistic Adults: The Weekly Calendar Planning Activity.

Researchers studied how well autistic young adults can plan and organize daily tasks compared to non-autistic peers. They found that autistic adults had more difficulty with planning activities, following rules, and staying organized. However, autistic adults who used more planning strategies performed better on the tasks. This suggests that teaching specific planning strategies could help autistic adults manage daily life activities more successfully.

This cross-sectional study examined functional cognition in 55 autistic and 32 neurotypical young adults (ages 18-30) without intellectual disability using the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA). Autistic participants demonstrated significant difficulties across multiple domains including longer planning times, fewer rules followed, reduced appointment accuracy, lower efficiency, more errors, and different strategy use patterns. A notable finding was that strategy use correlated positively with accuracy among autistic adults (r = .42), suggesting potential intervention targets. The study identifies specific functional cognition challenges in autistic adults including managing multiple task components, resolving conflicts, managing distractions, and organizing information efficiently.

The WCPA shows promise as an assessment tool for identifying specific functional cognition difficulties in autistic adults. Interventions should focus on strategy training and building self-awareness to improve daily functioning. Results suggest that teaching planning strategies could be particularly beneficial for supporting independent living, education, and employment outcomes.

Cross-sectional design limits causal inferences. Sample limited to young adults without intellectual disability, reducing generalizability. Study design details not fully specified in abstract. No information provided about participant characteristics beyond age and absence of intellectual disability.

Autistic adults often experience difficulties with executive functions that affect independent living, education, and employment. The Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA) is a promising performance-based assessment of functional cognition, but research with autistic adults is limited. To examine patterns of functional cognition in autistic young adults using the WCPA. Cross-sectional between-groups and within-group design.

Community. Autistic (n = 55) and neurotypical (n = 32) young adults (ages 18-30) without intellectual disability. We used the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity, adult Level 2, to examine the differences between autistic and neurotypical adults in (1) initial planning time for the activity, (2) rules followed, (3) appointment accuracy, (4) efficiency, (5) types of errors, and (6) strategies used. We also examined the correlation between strategies used and WCPA accuracy of autistic adults.

Significant group differences were found in planning time, rules followed, appointment accuracy, efficiency, error types, and strategies used. Among autistic adults, the number of strategies used correlated significantly with WCPA accuracy (r = .42). Autistic adults experience difficulties in functional cognition, including managing multiple task components, resolving conflicts, managing distractions, and organizing information efficiently. The WCPA has promise as a tool to help guide intervention focused on building self-awareness and strategy use to improve daily functioning.

Plain-Language Summary: Autistic young adults often experience difficulties with executive functioning that can make the transition to adult life challenging. Functional cognition, the ability to integrate cognitive skills to manage everyday activity, is essential for independent functioning. However, little is known about how autistic adults perform in real-world tasks that require executive functioning skills. This study used the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity to identify specific areas in which autistic adults may encounter difficulty, such as organizing tasks and managing distractions.

These findings can help guide therapists in designing interventions that support autistic adults in developing strategies to improve their daily lives.