Executive Function & ASD - related?

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I've been pondering the term "executive function" and how some sources, but not all, have claimed that ASD profoundly affects it. Basically, EF is the ability to "organize, prioritize, problem-solve, decision-making, and inhibit inappropriate response."

I've also noticed research online seems to overwhelmingly correlate ADHD with executive dysfunction, not so much aspergers. So does Aspergers cause worse E.F. impairments than ADHD, or not?

As far as the main impairments of Aspergers, non-verbal cognition, reading "between the lines" (i.e. nuance), common sense ("street smarts") regarding unspoken norms of situational context, none of these appear to be related to the textbook definition of E.F.

Planning-wise, I personally haven't had that much issue with running out of time to do the most important tasks (at work or otherwise), am able to more or less optimally sequence tasks such as knowing which stores to go to first when running errands, and have always tracked my current & planned expenditures carefully, but I definitely have trouble with:

a) synthesizing multiple instructions within a short span of time, which seems to be a combo of poor short-term memory, difficulty focusing on more than one thing at a time, and aversion to pressure, and

b) decision-making, I am frequently told that I don't see the potential consequences of my decisions on _other people_ who may turn antagonistic towards me. Even if my decision seems perfectly rational to me, I am criticized based on the perception it may cause, which could either be EF related (seeing the big picture) or AS related (not intuiting the norms of situational context).

In the latter case, I find that NTs intuitively know whether a) to consult other people first, b) a less risky decision is available, or c) to wait it out until new info comes in and opens more options. But if that's more related to EF, or social cognition, or both, I'm not sure.

I think there are some executive function issues but not to the extent of ADHD.
You could look it like most of the executive functions are impaired in ADHD, in autism some are but with more severity.

Once people with autism realise they need to be more organsied they can do it. They're good at setting up routines and lists and some of us can be extremely driven.

ADHD is where motivation and planning is just not there. When it is there's a small window and if you miss it you've got to wait for it to open again. Actual neurotransmitters are missing and need to be triggered so the person can actually want to do a task that once felt so impossible to do. They can focus when they either couldn't concentrate due to impatience or distractions.

You get an autistic person wanting to start a project to do with their interests and they will do it. They don't need to get motivation, wait until they can focus and won't feel overwhelmed the many steps of it. Even when someone with ADHD is interested in something they need to get hyper focus or medicate in order to do it and if they do it without medication they will speed through it, leave out details, make mistakes.

There are many similar symptoms between autism and ADHD but some are affected more by them.

Seeing how for me autism is a processing disorder with the most impairing symptoms in social interaction and change it has very little to do with forgetting my keys or zoning out in conversation or many thoughts or impulsive behaviour or messing up my words or not being able to focus or hyper focusing until I burn out and didn't get that really important task done. I'm likely to have more ADHD issues if it's just me at home.

So, I don't think executive function is such a problem for autism. It is a problem but I think the difference in the brain that causes it is different to ADHD, otherwise we'd all get on medication without a need for an ADHD diagnosis. And when the meds treat a person with just autism they don't appear to work and have the worst side effects.

I found a research paper about this a few months ago. I wrote this last June:

It is the case that all people who suffer from neurological differences also have impaired EF skills. The difference in EF functionality impairment is all over the board with some people being much less impaired than others.