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Intellectual Disability Autism PhD

Ph.D. in Special Education: Intellectual Disability/Autism

Intellectual Disability/Autism is one of the focus areas that may be selected by applicants to either the Ed.D. or the Ph.D. programs in the Applied Sciences of Learning and Special Education. 

The doctoral programs in Intellectual Disability/Autism are research-intensive programs designed to prepare graduates for a variety of academic and professional roles in the field of developmental disabilities. Given our programs’ strong research emphasis, all doctoral students will take rigorous statistics and research methods coursework. We practice a research-apprenticeship model of student mentorship and training. As part of this training, all doctoral students will engage in research activities as part of faculty members' research teams, where they will gain experience with all aspects of the research process: data collection in schools and/or research labs, data management, observational coding, data analysis, and manuscript preparation.  Past doctoral students have oriented their preparation towards careers as college and university professors, researchers, program directors, or curriculum and instructional evaluators.

Successful doctoral candidates will pass a doctoral certification examination in the Applied Sciences of Learning and Special Education and will complete a doctoral certification project in their area of specialization. Upon achieving official status as a doctoral candidate, students will be eligible to select a faculty committee and begin work on their doctoral dissertation research. 

• Requirements

Admissions Information

Displaying requirements for the Spring 2025, Summer 2025, and Fall 2025 terms.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Points/Credits: 84
• Entry Terms: Fall
• Enrollment Formats: Full-Time, Part-Time

Application Deadlines

Select programs remain open beyond our standard application deadlines , such as those with an extended deadline or those that are rolling (open until June or July). If your program is rolling or has an extended deadline indicated above, applications are reviewed as they are received and on a space-available basis. We recommend you complete your application as soon as possible as these programs can close earlier if full capacity has been met.

Application Requirements

Requirements from the TC Catalog (AY 2023-2024)

Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2023, Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 terms.

View Full Catalog Listing

Research and Evaluation Emphasis:

Students with excellent potential as researchers and theoreticians who are interested in scholarly careers in special education, education, and related social sciences may apply for the Ph.D. degree program, which represents the highest level of achievement in the Arts and Sciences. This degree program is administered jointly by Teachers College and the graduate faculty of Columbia University. Prospective students may obtain information on program offerings by contacting the program office.

Intellectual Disability/Autism is one of the exceptionality focus areas that may be selected by applicants to the Ph.D. Programs in Special Education. Individuals who are interested in careers as researchers and scholars in the field of developmental disabilities or special education, inclusive education, and related social sciences may apply for the Ph.D. degree program (84 credits).

The doctoral program in Intellectual Disability/Autism is a research-intensive program designed to prepare graduates for a variety of academic and professional roles in the field of developmental disabilities. Given our program’s strong research emphasis, all doctoral students will take rigorous statistics and research methods coursework. In addition, we practice a research-apprenticeship model of student mentorship and training, thus all students will engage in research activities with faculty members. Doctoral students may orient their preparation towards careers as college and university professors, researchers, program directors, or curriculum and instructional evaluators.

Successful doctoral candidates will pass a doctoral certification examination in general special education, and will complete a doctoral certification project in their area of specialization. Upon achieving official status as a doctoral candidate, students will be eligible to select a faculty advisory committee and begin work on their doctoral dissertation research.

Procedures for admission to the Ph.D. program in Special Education in the Department of Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology at Teachers College are administered jointly by the Office of Admission and the Department. Applicants are evaluated according to the following criteria:

Strong academic record and potential,

GRE scores,

Two to three years of successful teaching experience in special education and/or evidence of strong applied or basic research experience in a related field (e.g., empirical Master’s thesis, conference presentations, and/or peer- reviewed publications),

Scholarly and professional promise,

Appropriate fit with faculty research,

Appropriate career objectives,

English proficiency (TOEFL score of at least 600), if applicable,

Non-academic attributes that demonstrate ability to meet the challenges of working with people with developmental disabilities and conducting research with this population,

Academic or professional writing sample.

Course requirements in each of the following categories must be satisfied in order to complete the 84-credit Ph.D. program:

Master’s-level courses in Intellectual Disability/Autism (30 credits total)

Core Coursework in Special Education (24)

HBSE 5010 Study of the philosophic foundations of special education (3)

HBSE 6010 Advanced study of problems and issues in special education (3)

HBSE 5901 Problems in special education – Intellectual Disability/Autism (3)

HBSE 6501-I Advanced seminar in Intellectual Disability/Autism (3)

HBSE 6501-II Advanced seminar in Intellectual Disability/Autism or seminar in Deaf/Hard of Hearing or Seminar in School Psychology (3)

HBSE 6001 Research in special education: Group Design (3)

HBSE 6005 or HBSE 6031 Research in special education: Single Case Design (3)

HBSE 7500 Dissertation seminar (3)

Coursework in Statistics and Research Methodology (15)

HUDM 4122 Probability & statistical inference (3)

HUDM 5122 Applied regression analysis (3)

HUDM 5123 Linear models and experimental design (3)

Advanced statistics, research methods, evaluation, or measurement course (3)

Specialization Electives (15)

Elective coursework (15)

Areas of specialization include:

Health, Neuroscience, Movement, or Communication Sciences Developmental, Counseling, or School Psychology, Educational Policy or Organization & Leadership, Diversity & Multicultural Studies Research Methodology

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Program Director : Laudan B. Jahromi, Ph.D.

Teachers College, Columbia University 528 West 121st St., 5th Floor

Phone: 212-678-3880 Fax: 212-678-8259

Email: Erica Schenk (es3747@tc.columbia.edu)

Autism and Social Interaction: A Discursive Psychological Study

In psychological research, autistic people are generally characterised as possessing disordered social cognition and embodiment in comparison to non-autistic people.

Specifically, a deficit in Theory of Mind (the capacity to think about other people’s mental states in order to understand and predict their behaviour) and altered tactile sensation have been proposed as some significant psychological differences present in autism. Autistic people are characterised as experiencing social interactional difficulties that impact social-emotional reciprocity. Examples of such impact include struggling to approach others to interact or to make personal or relevant contributions to an interaction.

While there is a substantial literature on the cognitive properties of autistic individuals compared to non-autistic individuals and how these impact social psychological phenomena, there is considerably less research that analyses autistic people in their own right as social agents in naturally-occurring, everyday settings. As well, there is a challenge to the ideology behind deficit-oriented frameworks of autism in the form of the neurodiversity movement. This thesis draws on ethnomethodology, discursive psychology, and conversation analysis to contribute to both the naturalistic study of autistic people in social interaction and the development of positive, competence-oriented, and ecological approaches to autism. This will be achieved by analysing the social action, as produced in talk and with the body, of autistic children in interaction with their family members in their homes.

Ten hours of video recordings were collected in the homes of four volunteer families with at least one autistic child member. Recordings were made by the families themselves of the mundane domestic activities they engaged in, including episodes of cooking and mealtimes, members playing together, preparing for school, and discussing the day’s activities. After detailed transcription, instances of the children providing accounts for their own behaviour and embraces (or resistance to them) were collected for and became the focus of detailed analysis. An extended sequence constituting a common parenting activity (directing a child to do something) was also selected. This research takes the domains of Theory of Mind and tactile sensation that are prominent within psychological research on autism and treats them as social interactional accomplishments.

The first empirical chapter examines how children accounted for their own behaviour.

It found that the children’s accounts were oriented toward the displayed expectancies and characterisations of the child and their conduct either in responding to first pair parts (e.g., resisting suggestions with an embedded presumption of the child’s knowledge), or in launching their own first action (e.g., requesting more food). These accounts constitute concern for how the children’s interactants could, or do, treat them in response to their behaviour, accomplishing Theory of Mind embedded in their everyday action.

With respect to tactile sensation, the second empirical chapter analyses embraces.

Embraces occurred within and between a variety of other activities. Analyses showed how both children and parents initiated embraces and many were accomplished as non-problematic by the children. Participants arranged their bodies such that the embrace was coordinated with the talk and ongoing action, and utilised both verbal and embodied resources to initiate and terminate. Children prioritised their ongoing actions, treating some embraces or embrace initiations as interruptive by avoiding, escaping or otherwise misaligning with them.

The third empirical chapter demonstrates how one family’s extended sequence of action directing their child to use the bathroom before bedtime was comprised of a variety of different relational activities. In the process of managing the larger project of the directive, parent and child negotiated complex elements of their relationship including issues of power and responsibility, shared knowledge and experiences, and expectations of group membership.

This thesis offers a critical perspective on the conceptualisation of autism in psychology. It grounds this alternative view of autism based on an empirical analysis of how the autistic children and their family members in the interactions analysed manage complex social psychological matters in the production of their social action. It expands upon discursive psychological research on the accomplishment of social cognition as action produced within talk-in-interaction. It also exemplifies a direction a neurodiversity-sensitive psychology of social action could take and identifies ways that this can be further developed.

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• Psychology of ageing
• Community psychology
• Social psychology
• Other psychology not elsewhere classified

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Autism and Developmental Disabilities Doctoral Program

Autism and developmental disabilities.

Doctoral Program

Department of Special Education

The Autism and Developmental Disabilities (A&DD) Doctoral Program provides students with cutting-edge training for conducting research. Students engage in hands-on practice with individuals with autism and developmental disabilities. In this concentration, we strive to provide students with teaching, research, and clinical training experiences that will prepare them for careers in academia and/or clinical-based settings. As a Tier-1 research institute, we provide highly personalized training with a wide range of clinical and research opportunities.

The Ph.D. degree generally takes four years of full-time study to complete. Students develop their own individualized program of study in consultation with their academic advisor and the graduate advisor. In addition to content and research coursework, Ph.D. students will complete a dissertation and professional activities beyond coursework. This can include supervision of student teachers, presentation at professional conferences, submitting manuscripts for publication, teaching at the undergraduate level.

Specialization Core Courses (12 hours)

• SED 388 Challenging Behaviors and Developmental Research
• SED 388 Advances in Understanding and Treatment of Autism
• SED 396 Trends & Issues in Autism & DD
• SED 389 Policy/Procedures in Special Education Administration

To gain breadth of knowledge, students must take at least one course from outside of their concentration area or outside of the department.

Professional Core (18 hours)

• SED 695S A & B Professional Seminar (taken over fall and spring semesters of Year 1)
• SED 398T College Teaching (Year 2)
• SED 380 Diversity and Disability: Continuing Perspectives; or SED 380 Diversity, Equity, and Disability
• SED 696 A and B Research Mentoring (taken over two semesters)

Research Core (18-21 hours)

• EDP 380C Fundamental Statistics – prerequisite as needed

Additional coursework must include at least two courses out of the following three:

• Qualitative Research Design and Data Analysis
• Quantitative Research Design and Data Analysis
• Single-Subject Research Design

Coursework must include:

• SED 395D Grant Writing in Education

Select other research courses in consultation with your Academic Advisor to be sure that you will fulfill research requirements in your concentration area.

Dissertation (6 hours minimum)

All doctoral students are required to complete a dissertation . This includes conducting original research with direction from a dissertation supervisor. The dissertation will be submitted and defended to a dissertation committee consisting of faculty in the field of study.

• SED 399, 699, or 999 R and W

Engages in training and supervision of clinicians to support individuals with challenging behavior and difficulty transitioning between activities, particularly for students with autism spectrum disorders.

Assessment and treatment of problem behavior displayed by individuals with ASD/DD, methods for increasing behavioral variability in individuals with ASD/DD, and methods for preventing clinical relapse pertaining to challenging behavio

Works with culturally diverse individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders to assess and treat challenging behavior.

Assesses and supports individuals with intellectual disabilities and develops social skill/communication interventions for children with ASD.

Additional Resources

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At a Glance

Program Starts : Fall

Deadline to Apply : December 1, Priority Rolling Admissions

Credit Hours Required : 57

Program Location : On Campus

GRE Required? No

Area Co-Coordinator Mark O’Reilly

Area Co-Coordinator Terry Falcomatta

Find out information about the admission process and application requirements.

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Discover the exciting research and work being done by faculty and students in the Department of Special Education. 

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Doing a PhD with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Anecdotally I know that there are many PhD candidates out there with ASD: Autism spectrum disorder . I have quite a few family members and friends who are not neuro-typical, so I’m uncomfortable with the word ‘disorder’. As my nephew, who was diagnosed as being on the spectrum around age 7, puts it: “you say ASD like it’s a bad thing, when it’s just how I am”.

He’s totally right. ‘ Neurotypicals’ are sometimes blind to the unique skills and capabilities that people with ASD have. The world is built around neurotypical ways, which makes studying while being on the spectrum particularly hard. I often get asked about PhD strategies for people with ASD, but, despite experience living and working with people on the spectrum, I am no expert. I was happy when Kim sent in this post and I hope it might encourage others living with ASD to share their experience.

Kim Kemmis has spent the last ten years working full time and pursuing postgraduate study in the Department of History at the University of Sydney. He recently completed his PhD on the life and career of the Australian soprano Marie Collier. His interests include Australian cultural history and the history of sexuality, and is currently writing on opera as a social phenomenon in Australia.

When I started my PhD I knew there would be challenges. For people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) there’s a huge boulder blocking the road, stopping us from turning intention into action. The way we process information and respond to the world affects how we work and how we connect to others, and for the HDR student there are some particular difficulties.

If research were only sitting in the archive working on documents it would be the best of all possible worlds. I can focus on the detail and feel the brain fire up with new information and connections and ideas. Back in the university study space where the work is more varied I need routine and habit, working at regular times in a quiet, unchanging working place, with minimal environmental noise like air conditioning hum or banging doors, where people don’t constantly walk past your desk or change your computer settings or move your books around. You will know this place by the unicorns roaming outside. Hot-desking is a vicious variation on the hell of open-plan, where even neurotypicals suffer.

Even in optimal conditions my brain won’t do what I want it to. At my worst, is not a matter of diving-in but zeroing-in. The brain takes its own time to engage with the text I’m working on. It doesn’t connect with anything beyond the immediate phrase I’m looking at. I circle around the text, looking for a phrase to spring off the screen or to catch my attention, to coax the brain into comprehension. Every few minutes I have to give the brain a break, preferably by doing something work-related or tuning into my music rather than social media. But usually it’s five minutes on, fifteen off until I get back to where I was. Sometimes I have to drag the brain back, with the to-do list, or by breaking the task down so I can do it in baby steps—any structure I can use to keep moving in the right direction.

On good days form takes care of itself. On bad days syntax and sentence structure fail catastrophically. The brain switches off between phrases and jumps to something else; I grab at what I thought I was writing, but my thinking has moved on and the sentence is a series of non sequiturs. My advanced writing skills need conscious reinforcement, and I can’t see if I’m making sense until I finish the sentence.

But after three-quarters of an hour teasing out the phrases and connections I suddenly get into the zone. Words start flowing out through the fingers and the actual ‘writing’ happens, and I have some sentences, even paragraphs that I can come back to and polish.

Connecting with others is difficult; activities such as class participation and supervision are complicated, and you become estranged from many of the collegial experiences. In my undergraduate days I was criticised for not joining in the discussions, even though I was probably working the hardest of anyone: trying to establish what people what were saying, analyse it, draw conclusions, then find a way of verbalising them, while not being able to read the class dynamics. Now that happens in supervision meetings. I try to work out the nuances (‘What exactly does she mean by subjectivity ? Whose? Is that what I call subjectivity or is it something else?’), but there is no time to linger, and I have to hold the idea unresolved and try to pick up cues from the rest of the conversation. After twenty-minutes I run out of stamina, and I can’t express myself verbally. I have lost count of the follow-up emails starting, ‘I tried to say…’ or ‘I should have said…’, or even pretending ‘It’s occurred to me that…’ (NB I didn’t disclose my ASD to my supervisors: in retrospect, a big mistake.)

As a historian I have to interview people. It’s a misconception that people with ASD don’t have empathy. But using that empathy is exhausting, and so are the burdens of initiating and maintaining conversation, and the emails and phone calls required to keep the relationship going.

As a research student you have to make contact with peers and influencers and grow your network. That’s why we have conferences, which can be another circle of hell. You can stick with people you know and connect through their connections. But otherwise it’s cold calling, talking to people while pouring a coffee, using the pre-prepared starters, ‘What are you writing about?’, ‘How many years do you have to go?’, and the one-sentence, thirty-second or three-minute summaries of my research, formulated to avoid the full-immersion experience to which I have been known to subject people; all the while fighting the chaotic and exhausting coffeebreak noise, and the anxiety that as you lurch from sentence to sentence you will lose the thread or not be able to reply.

During papers I try not to be distracted by the rustling of pens scratching on poor quality notepaper, or the suspicion that the weird smells from the seats are possibly organic in origin. I enjoy the para-conference that Twitter provides; distilling the essence of a paper to 280 characters including the conference hashtag helps me engage, and the online interaction complements the more difficult physical socialising.

Presenting isn’t a problem. Once I’m at the lectern the technique kicks in and the anxiety starts to dissipate. But I stink without a script. Every word is prepared, even the impromptu remarks. Questions can be an adventure: remembering not to over-answer, monitoring the questioner’s expression to see if I have to ask ‘Am I answering your question or have I missed the point?’

Now I have finished my PhD I look forward to life as an Early Career Researcher and ask, ‘Does it get easier?’ No. But I have found ways of working that work for me—which is what the PhD is all about, for all of us.

Thanks for sharing your experience Kim! I’m wondering what you think – have you been diagnosed with ASD, or suspect you might have tendencies? What strategies do you have in place to cope with the challenges? Love to hear your ideas in the comments.

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School of Education & Counseling

Applied Behavior Analysis with Specialization in Autism Intervention  Doctor of Philosophy

The PhD in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) with Specialization in Autism Intervention prepares students to serve in leadership positions in private companies and public entities that provide behavior services to a wide range of populations. It's especially important work since, in 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that approximately 1 in 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder.

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The Cambridge College program was ranked as the No. 2 Applied Behavior Analysis PhD program in the United States by ABA Degree Programs in 2021.

Phd in applied behavior analysis with specialization in autism intervention overview.

Designed for working professionals, the PhD in Applied Behavior Analysis with Specialization in Autism Intervention offers clinical leadership training that prepares students for leadership roles within human service organizations and within the field of applied behavior analysis. Coursework ensures that students develop the supervisory and management skills necessary to succeed in high-level leadership positions.

The program also focuses on advanced research and dissemination of applied behavior analysis. Coursework is designed to further develop students’ clinical skills and enhance their ability to conduct, evaluate, analyze and apply research findings in their clinical settings. 

The ABA doctoral program is a three-year, 48-credit course of study that includes one-week summer residencies in Boston during the first two years. The program follows a distance-learning model during all other semesters. An applied dissertation is also required.

Highlights of the Cambridge College PhD in ABA Program

• Convenience: Program can be completed in 3 years using a distance learning model (via Zoom) combined with week-long residencies at our Boston campus in years 1 and 2. Dissertation research can be completed at any location.
• Flexible, hybrid course options: Designed to meet the needs of working adults, the PhD program is offered via convenient evening classes. Courses are taught in a mix of remote, live classes to promote discussion and build rapport with your cohort, as well as online classes to support study from any location and two week-long, on-campus residencies.
• No GRE required: Start your PhD degree quickly. Cambridge College offers an easy application process and does not require GRE exams for admission to the PhD program.
• Faculty with real-world expertise: PhD Faculty has extensive clinical and administrative experience and bring it into the classroom.
• Cost-effective: Cambridge College is committed to keeping tuition low and to providing an excellent value for the quality of education you receive.

“I would recommend the PhD program at Cambridge College because the faculty have student success in mind.”

Learning Outcomes

In the ABA Doctoral Program at Cambridge College, students will:

• Analyze published research across a range of behavior analytic content, including evaluating the experimental methods used and interpreting the results
• Synthesize published research in a particular topic and consider gaps in the research to develop research questions for their applied work and to articulate the impacts of these gaps on service delivery
• Formulate systematic research studies using valid experimental designs to enable them to qualify for full membership in the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and to present findings at regional and national applied behavior analysis conferences
• Develop experimental methods to address the research question in their applied dissertations
• Evaluate published research addressing skill development and behavior reduction procedures for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and synthesize that research to create a taxonomy of empirically supported treatment procedures
• Create assessment procedures for evaluating treatments, conduct assessments, analyze the outcomes of those assessments, and synthesize the results of assessments to develop function-based treatment plans and instructional programs
• Propose and adapt empirically supported staff-training models and systems
• Design and conduct trainings in advanced ABA content across a range of audiences (students, parents, stakeholders, etc.)
• Upon graduation, eligible graduates may seek the BCBA-D designation from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.

PhD Tuition Information

* See curriculum sheet for a breakdown of credits and credit ranges.

PhD Course List

Students enroll in five to nine total credits per (fall and spring) term during the first two years of the Applied Behavior Analysis degree program. During the third year, students enroll in the Dissertation Research course. In all subsequent semesters and until completion of all degree requirements, students enroll in a Dissertation Continuation course. Additional courses in the program include: 

• Advanced Single Subject Research Designs in ABA
• Communication and Dissemination of Advanced Principles of Behavior
• Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI)
• Evaluation and Treatment of Severe Behavior Disorders
• Behavior Analytic Perspective on Child Development
• Organizational Behavior Management

Careers in Applied Behavior Analysis with Specialization in Autism Intervention

Annual nationwide demand for individuals holding BCBA/BCBA-D certification has increased each year since 2010, with a 23% increase from 2021 to 2022

According to Glassdoor.com, the average salary in 2023 for BCBA-D's is $110,371.

Median annual salary for BCBA-D's*

Annual salary of top 10% of psychologists**

*Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2023). US employment demand for behavior analysts: 2010–2022. Littleton, CO: Author. (visited Dec. 20, 2023).

** www.glassdoor.com (visited Dec. 20, 2023). 

Jobs for Those With a PhD in Applied Behavior Analysis

Psychologists have a range of job options to choose from. They may work independently, conducting research, consulting with clients, or working with patients. They can find roles on health care teams, collaborating with physicians and social workers, or in school settings, working with students, teachers, parents, and other educators. Many choose to work in private practice.

Faculty Spotlight

Susan Ainsleigh

EdD, BCBA-D®, LABA

Director of Graduate Program in Applied Behavior Analysis; Associate Professor, Education

Program Director of the ABA Program, Dr. Susan Ainsleigh, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D®) and a licensed special education teacher. Dr. Ainsleigh has practiced ABA in a wide range of settings, including public and private schools, early intervention programs, and adult service settings, for over 20 years. She has extensive experience establishing ABA programs in higher education settings, including the first BACB® approved course sequence in the middle east.

Daniel A. Almeida

PhD, BCBA-D, LABA-MA, LBA-CT

Program Director, Autism/Applied Behavior Analysis Programs

Daniel Almeida is the Program Director for the Ph.D. in ABA program at Cambridge College. Previously, he was the District Supervisor of ABA Services for a major public school district in Greater Boston and held a variety of director-level positions at private, ABA-based schools is Massachusetts. He received his Ph.D. in ABA from Simmons University. Dan has provided ABA services to students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and related disabilities for over 35 years. He has published original...

Laurie Bonavita

PhD, BCBA-D®️, LABA

Supervisor and Clinical Instructor

Dr. Bonavita began working with individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder close to 30 years ago, and her love of the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA) began soon after. She received her doctorate in ABA from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and her passion for research grew at that time. She has completed research in the areas of health, sport and fitness, and diversity in supervision and functional analysis.

Melissa Hunsinger-Harris

PhD, BCBA-D®️, LABA, LBA

Assistant Director, Applied Behavior Analysis; Associate Professor, Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis

Melissa L. Hunsinger-Harris, PhD, LBA BCBA-D® (she/her) is the Assistant Director of Graduate Studies in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at Bay Path University. Since 2012, she has been instrumental in supervising, teaching, and developing master’s level coursework for graduate students. Dr. Hunsinger-Harris earned her master’s degree in ABA from Simmons College in Boston, where she focused her research and professional efforts on enhancing staff training...

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• Published: 29 August 2024

Executive function deficits in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder

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• Autism spectrum disorders
• Signs and symptoms

Executive function deficits have been reported in both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, little is known regarding which, if any, of these impairments are shared in children with ADHD and those with ASD. In this Review, we provide an overview of the current literature with a critical eye toward diagnostic, measurement and third-variable considerations that should be leveraged to provide more definitive answers. We conclude that the field’s understanding of executive function profiles in ASD and ADHD is highly limited because most research on each of these disorders has failed to account for the possible co-occurrence and the presence of symptoms of the other disorder. A vast majority of studies have relied on traditional neuropsychological tests and informant-rated executive function scales that have poor specificity and construct validity, and most studies have been unable to account for the well-documented between-person heterogeneity within and across disorders. At present, the most parsimonious conclusion is that children with ADHD and/or ASD tend to perform moderately worse than neurotypical children on a broad range of neuropsychological tests. However, the extent to which these difficulties are unique to one of these disorders or shared, or are attributable to impairments in specific executive functions, remains largely unknown. We end with focused recommendations for future research.

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Kofler, M.J., Soto, E.F., Singh, L.J. et al. Executive function deficits in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Nat Rev Psychol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-024-00350-9

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