ABSTRACT
The term executive function encompasses the processes (e.g., planning, inhibitory control, attentional set-shifting, working memory) that underlie flexible goal-directed behavior (Duncan, 1986). Predicted consequences of executive dysfunction include a marked difficulty in novel or ambiguous situations coupled with intact performance on routine or well-learned tasks. These predictions fit well with many of the behavioral characteristics of autism-an observation that motivated numerous independent investigations of executive dysfunction in autism. Such studies demonstrate that executive dysfunctions in autism are typically severe, persistent, and universal (see Bishop, 1993; Ozonoff, 1995, 1997; Pennington & Ozonoff, 1996). However, several questions remain unresolved: Do executive impairments in autism have a primary etiological significance, or are they merely secondary consequences of neurological damage? How should executive impairments in autism be characterized? What are the real-life implications of executive dysfunction in autism? The aim of this chapter is to address these three questions, focusing in particular on some speculative suggestions as to the relevance of executive impairments for everyday behavior in autism.
