The Interrelationships of Psychopathology Symptoms on Social Skills in Adults with Autism or PDD-NOS and Intellectual Disability

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are debilitating, life long conditions which are known to co-occur with intellectual disability (ID) and comorbid psychopathology. All of these are risk factors, yet little has been done to explore the degree that these variables alone and in combination impact the well being of such persons. Three-hundred and two adults with severe or profound ID were studied. From the total sample, 137 evinced ASD (either autism or PDD-NOS). The Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II) was used to assess psychopathology symptoms. Social behaviors were assessed using the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with sEvere Retardation (MESSIER). For participants with ASD, psychopathology symptoms, particularly impulse and mania, were associated with negative social behaviors (i.e., nonverbal, verbal, and general) as well as positive verbal and nonverbal social skills. For participants with ID only, impulse symptoms, as well as symptoms of mania, PDD/autism, anxiety, organic, and stereotypy were associated with negative social behaviors, but not positive social skills as was found for participants with ASD.