Cognitive power
Alessandro Rebuttini, Mariachiara Pioppi, Chiara Neri, Martina Rossetti, Alice Ternelli, Alessia Mantovani, Franco Nardocci
Autism is a lifelong condition, and 39.8% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present comorbid intellectual disability or cognitive deficits that interfere with daily functioning, potentially reducing self-esteem and impairing quality of life (Micai et al., 2023; ISS, 2025). According to Pellicano (2012), impairments in executive functions compromise social skills, adaptive behaviour, and daily living autonomy. «Il Tortellante» conducted a new project from September 2024 to June 2025, aimed at enhancing cognitive domains including memory, attention, problem solving, visuo-spatial skills, and visual perception. Two experimental groups (E) and one control group (C) were enrolled, each of them included 4 young adults on the autism spectrum (mean age = 25 years) with a moderate level of required support (ADOS-2 level 2; Lord et al., 2013). The control group was matched to the experimental groups for age, sex, and level of functioning. Each experimental group was led by two professionals, and weekly training sessions were based on the protocol «Cognitive Skills – Enhancement and Recovery Programme» (Gagliardini, 2015), adapted for individuals with autism. To monitor the intervention, the following measures were administered to participants in both the experimental and control groups at T0 (September 2024) and T1 (June 2025): the ENB-3 (Brief Neuropsychological Examination 3; Mondini & Mapelli, 2022), the SPM (Standard Progressive Matrices; Raven, 1997), and behavioural data collection. Results indicate improvements across all participants in the training condition, with one of the two experimental groups showing a statistically significant improvement. These findings suggest the relevance of targeted cognitive training for enhancing adaptive and daily living skills. Consistent with prior cognitive intervention studies in adults with autism (Eack et al., 2013; Venuti et al., 2021), this intervention seems to represent a promising approach to enriching and improving the lives of individuals on the autism spectrum.
Keywords
Autism, Cognitive functions, Cognitive enhancement, Quality of life.
