Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Short Report: The Role Of Emotion Perception In Adaptive Functioning Of People With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Margaret B. Hudepohl, Diana L. Robins, Tricia Z. King, Christopher C. Henrich

Psychology Faculty Publications

Cognitive functioning has historically been used to predict adaptive outcomes of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs); however, research shows that it is not a complete predictor. The current study explored whether emotion perception was a predictor of adaptive outcomes, and more specifically, hypothesized that emotion perception (DANVA-2 error scores) would mediate adaptive functioning of people with ASDs (Vineland-II). People with ASDs demonstrated significantly lower adaptive functioning and emotion perception skills compared to typically-developing individuals. Emotion perception acted as a significant mediator for socialization, but not communication or daily living skills, highlighting that in people with ASDs, lower socialization abilities …