Age-Related Changes in Functional Skills and Daily Life Task Management Among Autistic Youth.

Importance: Autistic youth who graduate with a high school diploma may experience challenges in acquiring functional skills for everyday independence. Few studies have focused on how their functional and self-management skills change during the transition to adulthood. Objective: To examine cross-sectional differences and longitudinal changes in the functional and self-management skills of transition-age autistic youth. Design: Exploratory longitudinal study (18-mo follow-up). Setting: Community. Participants: Autistic high school students who graduated with a high school diploma and their parents (N = 50). Outcomes and Measures: Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory–Computer Adaptive Test (ASD). Results: Older youth (ages 18–20 yr) had significantly lower normative Social/Cognitive and Responsibility domain scores (i.e., self-management) than youth ages 14–17 yr. Approximately 2 yr later, youth in both age groups significantly improved in scaled scores on the Daily Activities and Responsibility domains. Conclusions and Relevance: Autistic youth's functional and self-management skills fell below those of nonautistic peers; however, these skills do change over time and are therefore appropriate targets for intervention. Plain-Language Summary: The findings of this study highlight the importance of focusing on the functional and self-management skills of autistic youth as part of their transition to adulthood. Occupational therapists can play a valuable role in helping autistic youth to achieve independence as adults by assessing their functional needs and strengths and by providing client-centered interventions. The findings of this study highlight the valuable role that occupational therapists can play in helping autistic youth to achieve independence as adults by assessing their functional needs and strengths and by providing client-centered interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]