Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the specificity of inhibition, working memory (WM), and reaction time variability (RTV) in relation to symptoms of ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method: A community-based sample of schoolchildren aged 7 to 9 years (N = 200) completed tasks designed to measure inhibition, WM, and RTV. Results: All neuropsychological functions were related to symptoms of both ADHD and ASD. The results from regression analyses showed that inhibition and RTV were related specifically to ADHD symptoms when controlling for symptoms of ASD. Regarding WM, no specific association with either symptom domain was evident after controlling for the other. Furthermore, independent contributions of inhibition and RTV were found in relation to ADHD symptoms after controlling for ASD symptoms. Conclusion: The present study underscores the relevance of controlling for ADHD symptoms when examining ASD symptoms in relation to neuropsychological functions.
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