Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Internalizing Symptoms: Relations To Executive Functions In Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jessica L. Berg

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Children with ASD exhibit significantly higher rates of internalizing symptoms than typically developing (TD) peers and co-occurring anxiety and depression are associated with greater negative outcomes. The current study explored possible neurocognitive correlates underlying increased risk by examining relations between developmental status, executive functioning (EF), and internalizing symptoms in young children. Participants included 66 children between 36 and 85 months with 40 TD children (57.5% male) and 26 children with ASD (84.6% male). EF measures included the BRIEF (Goia, Isquith, Guy, & Kenworthy, 2000) Plan and Shift subscales and a neuropsychological task (TOH-R; Welsh, Pennington, & Groisser, 1991). Parents and …