Brief Report: Predictors of Teacher-Rated Academic Competence in a Clinic Sample of Children With and Without Autism Spe
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BRIEF REPORT
Brief Report: Predictors of Teacher‑Rated Academic Competence in a Clinic Sample of Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder Anna Milgramm1 · Kristin V. Christodulu1 · Melissa L. Rinaldi1
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract The rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) necessitates a greater understanding of the academic experience of diagnosed children. The present study investigates several predictors of teacher-reported academic competence among a sample of elementary school children. All children in the sample were referred for an ASD evaluation and approximately half received a diagnosis. Children with and without ASD did not differ on overall academic competence, social skills, or problem behaviors. Regression analyses indicated that cognitive ability, social skills, and problem behaviors accounted for significant variance in academic competence. Moderation analyses indicated that the relations between the predictors and academic competence were comparable for children with and without ASD. Implications and future directions are discussed. Keywords Autism · Academic competence · Social skills · Problem behaviors · Teacher report The rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), both in the general population and within the classroom, necessitates a greater understanding of the academic experience of diagnosed children. ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities (American Psychiatric Association 2013). Although ASD was once viewed as a disorder highly associated with intellectual disability, it is now well understood that that these two diagnoses do not always co-occur. Rather, a significant proportion of individuals with ASD demonstrate average or even above average levels of intelligence (Charman et al. 2011). Despite intact cognitive ability, many students with ASD appear to face difficulties in the school setting as a result of their disorder-related deficits, such as impaired social skills and elevated problem behaviors (Ostmeyer and Scarpa 2012; von der Embse et al. 2011).
* Anna Milgramm [email protected] 1
Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1535 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12203, USA
Teachers rate elementary school-aged children with ASD as exhibiting fewer social skills, more problem behaviors, and an elevated rate of academic under-achievement compared to typically developing peers (Macintosh and Dissanayake 2006; Ashburner et al. 2010). However, little is known as to whether teachers perceive differences between children with ASD and children with other clinical vulnerabilities (henceforth, “children without ASD”). The first aim of the present study was thus to examine differences in teacherreported social skills, problem behaviors, and academic competence between children with and without AS
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