‘Everyday memory’ is conceptualised as memory within the context of day-to-day life and, despite its functional relevance,
has been little studied in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). In the first study of its kind, 94 adolescents
with an ASD and 55 without an ASD completed measures of everyday memory from the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT)
and a standard word recall task (Children’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test-2: CAVLT-2). The ASD group showed significant impairments
on the RBMT, including in prospective memory, alongside impaired performance on the CAVLT-2. Social and communication ability
was significantly associated with prospective remembering in an everyday memory context but not with the CAVLT-2. The complex
nature of everyday memory and its relevance to ASD is discussed.
Keywords Autism spectrum disorders – Everyday memory – Prospective memory – Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test – Children’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test-2