Table 1_Differences in autism features and adaptive functioning between adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and social communication disorder.docx

Current autism features showed smaller group differences, which remained significant across all SRS-2 subscales except Social Motivation (ds = .46–.68, p = .004–.046). Adolescents with SCD showed better adaptive functioning than those with ASD, although group differences in Communication (p = .085) and Socialization (p = .144) were no longer statistically significant after matching. Psychiatric comorbidity moderated group differences in Communication, Socialization, and overall adaptive functioning, while attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder showed a similar but less robust pattern for Communication, which did not remain significant after correction.</p>Discussion<p>Overall, accounting for age and intellectual ability, the distinction between ASD and SCD remained evident at the symptom level, whereas functional differences were partly influenced by these factors.

These findings suggest that diagnostic classification alone may not fully capture the functional needs of adolescents with ASD and SCD, highlighting the importance of a multidimensional approach that considers symptom profiles, adaptive functioning, developmental and intellectual factors, and psychiatric comorbidity.</p>