Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40865540›Full record

ArticleJournal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines2026

Executive function predicts academic and social skills in autistic kindergartners based on a multimodal approach.

Boin Choi, Haeun Lee, Laura Kuhn, Jeongjin Kim, Seok-Jun Hong, Adriana Di Martino, Alessandro Gozzi, Michael V Lombardo, Frederick J Morrison, Catherine Lord and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Boin ChoiDepartment of Special Education, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea.
Haeun LeeDepartment of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
Laura KuhnFrank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Jeongjin KimCenter for Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea.
Seok-Jun HongDepartment of Biomedical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea.
Adriana Di MartinoChild Mind Institute, Autism Center, New York, NY, USA.
Alessandro GozziFunctional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Rovereto, Italy.
Michael V LombardoLaboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Rovereto, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-6780-8619
Frederick J MorrisonDepartment of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Catherine LordSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
So Hyun KimSchool of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.ORCID 0000-0003-4269-0866

Funding

Neural signatures of outcome in preschoolers with autismR01MH115363 · NIMH · CHILD MIND INSTITUTE, INC. · PI DI MARTINO, ADRIANA · 2018 to 2023
$3.5M
Kellen Junior Faculty AwardKorean Ministry of Science and ICT of the National Research Foundation of Korea 2023S1A5C2A0709598711Korean Ministry of Science and ICT of the National Research Foundation of Korea 2023S1A5C2A0709598712Korean Ministry of Science and ICT of the National Research Foundation of Korea RS-2023-00209635Korean Ministry of Science and ICT of the National Research Foundation of Korea RS-2023-00265410Korean Ministry of Science and ICT of the National Research Foundation of Korea RS-2024-00398768Korean Ministry of Science and ICT of the National Research Foundation of Korea RS-2024-00439474Korea UniversityNIMH NIH HHS R01 MH115363NIMH NIH HHS R01MH115363
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExecutive functions (EF) are cognitive processes that underlie goal-directed abilities and behaviors which have been found to be variable in autistic children. While EFs are well-established predictors of academic and social outcomes in neurotypical children, it is unclear if these same associations are true for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined the relation between EF and academic and social skills in cognitively able, verbal kindergarteners with ASD, while using a multimeasurement approach to EF skills.

methodsParticipants included 67 autistic children aged 4-6 years longitudinally followed from kindergarten entry to exit. Children's EF was measured using a multimodal assessment approach with a computerized EF battery, behavioral observation, and parent report. Academic achievement and social skills were evaluated through a standardized assessment and parent report, respectively. Multiple regression models were conducted to explore the associations of EF with academic and social outcomes, while controlling for key demographic factors (e.g. age, sex, nonverbal IQ).

resultsEF, measured through the computerized battery, was significantly associated with math achievement when controlling for age, sex, and nonverbal IQ, both concurrently and longitudinally. EF difficulties, as reported by parents, were closely linked to current and later parent-reported peer play challenges.

conclusionsThese findings indicate that EF may be critical foundational skills for school success in young autistic children at school transition. Therefore, targeted EF interventions could be a powerful way to optimize academic and social development in autistic kindergarteners. The results also highlight the importance of a multimeasurement approach to EF assessment, as it provides a more comprehensive understanding of the broader impact of EF on key developmental outcomes in ASD.

Indexed as

Academic SuccessAutism Spectrum DisorderExecutive FunctionSocial SkillsChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleacademic achievementAutism spectrum disorderexecutive functionsocial skills

Identifiers

PMID40865540
PMCPMC12812794

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.