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Special interests (SIs) are part of the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Though they can have both positive and negative effects on functioning and long-term outcomes, research on SIs is limited. This pilot study used a newly developed parent-report measure, the Special Interest Survey, to characterize SIs in 1992 children with ASD. The mean number of current special interests reported was 9, with television, objects, and music being most commonly endorsed interests. The mean age of onset reported across all categories was 5.24 years, with duration of past interests most often exceeding 2 years. Age of onset, interference, and relative unusualness of the SI was varied across categories. Interference was significantly correlated with the unusualness of the SIs.

Timely diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is paramount to ensuring access to evidence-based intervention for individuals with ASD and their families, but the receipt of ASD diagnoses conti...

Evaluation of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes caregiver-reported rating scales of symptom presentation. The extent to which a broad autism phenotype (BAP) in parents of children with ASD might impact their endorsement of autism symptoms in their children with and without ASD has not been well evaluated.This study analyzed whether varying degrees of parental BAP were associated with reported autism symptoms in offspring with and without ASD.We used the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire as a measure of BAP in parents and parent- and teacher-report on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) to assess autism symptoms in children with ASD and their typically developing (TD) siblings (N = 5714). We assessed the relationship between parental BAP and parent-teacher discordance. We compared teacher reports of autism symptoms in children with varying degrees of BAP exposure.Mothers with higher levels of BAP over-reported autism symptoms in their children (compared to teachers) than mothers with lower BAP. TD children from parents with greater BAP displayed more autism symptoms than children from households with less BAP.BAP is associated with parent report of autism symptoms when compared to teacher report. For children with ASD, it is possible that differences in ratings reflect parent perception and not autism symptomatology; whereas, TD children from households with higher levels of BAP exposure showed more phenotypic autism symptom presentation on teacher-completed measures. Researchers and clinicians should consider BAP when interpreting caregiver and teacher reports.

Background Young adults with autism spectrum disorder’s (YA-ASD) ability to manage their healthcare needs is imperative as they transition to adult care. Method This study evaluated YA-ASD’s knowledge and care-seeking behavior for Physical and Mental Health (PH/MH) conditions. Caregivers (n = 501), of YA-ASD 16–25 years completed surveys. This study examined the extent to which YA-ASD could describe and seek care for their physical and mental health conditions (i.e. describing and care-seeking behaviors). Multivariate analyses further evaluated YA-ASD’s ability to and predictors of describing and care-seeking behaviors. Results YA-ASD had high rates of PH and MH conditions. Describing and careseeking behavior was significantly higher for PH versus MH conditions (p Regression analysis showed similar predictors for describing and care-seeking behaviors regardless of condition type. Intellectual disability and ASD-symptom severity were strong predictors (p Conclusions Results reveal a need for interventions focusing on empowering YAASD to manage MH conditions.

Extant data suggest that the cognitive profiles of individuals with ASD may be characterized by variability, particularly in terms of verbal intellectual functioning (VIQ) and non-verbal intellectual functioning (NVIQ) discrepancies. The Differential Ability Scales, Second Edition (DAS-II) has limited data available on its use with youth with ASD. The current study examined data from 2,110 youth with ASD in order to characterize performance on the DAS-II and to investigate potential discrepancies between VIQ and NVIQ. A larger proportion of individuals in the ASD sample had significant discrepancies between VIQ and NVIQ when compared to the normative sample [early years sample χ2 (2) = 38.36; p < .001; school age sample χ2 (2) = 13.48; p < .01]. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

Psychotropic medication use and its relationship to autism spectrum core features were examined in a well-characterized but nonstratified North American sample ( N = 1605) of children/adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders utilizing the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and the Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised, from the multisite Simons Simplex Collection. Analyses included (a) prevalence of psychotropic use (overall, and by classes), (b) correlations between prevalence of use and autism spectrum core features, age, and cognitive functioning, and (c) logistic regression to identify whether these factors were predictive of psychotropic use. Results indicated 41.7% ever used one or more classes of psychotropic medications, with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications used most. Small but significant correlations between psychotropic medication use and (a) social impairment ( p < .001) and (b) repetitive behaviors ( p < .001) were found. Overall, however, autism spectrum disorder core features are weakly related to medication use. Older children used more psychotropics ( p < .001), and higher cognitive functioning was associated with less overall psychotropic use ( p < .001). Logistic regression indicated that use of psychotropics was predicted by repetitive behaviors (both clinician-observed and parent-reported), age, and cognitive ability level. Limitations inherent to the Simons Simplex Collection sample, methodology, and the correlational analyses are discussed. Directions for future research include investigation of factors more influential than core symptoms on psychotropic treatment (e.g. parent perceptions, comorbid symptoms).

Schools have begun to adopt a population-based method to conceptualizing assessment and intervention of students; however, little empirical evidence has been gathered to support this shift in service delivery. The present study examined the fit of a population-based model in identifying students’ behavioral and emotional functioning using a district screening of first- through fifth-grade students (n = 2,706) in a diverse suburban school district. Teacher ratings of students’ emotional and behavior difficulties appeared to fit a population-based model well. Parent ratings of students’ difficulties (n = 1468) did not fit the model but indicated students having fewer difficulties. There was significant agreement between parent and teacher ratings for those students rated by both informants. These findings further support the use of population-based models in conceptualizing service delivery for students in schools. Limitations of the study, as well as implications for school screenings, are discussed.

There is very little known about how sibling characteristics may influence the social functioning of a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study utilized data from the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC; n = 1355 children with ASD and 1351 siblings) to investigate this relationship. Phenotypic measures included (a) the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II (VABS-II) for the probands with ASD and (b) the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the VABS-II for siblings. Sibling data were first analyzed collectively, then analyzed by “older” and “younger” groups, relative to the age of the proband with ASD. Significant correlations were observed between probands’ and siblings’ VABS-II socialization domain scores; additional associations were noted between (a) probands’ VABS-II socialization domain scores and siblings’ CBCL internalizing subscale scores when only younger siblings were analyzed, and (b) probands’ ADOS Reciprocal Social Interaction (RSI) domain scores and the sibling SCQ scores when only older siblings were analyzed. These findings suggest that typically developing children may have a small yet meaningful influence on the prosocial development of their siblings with ASD. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Limited research exists regarding the role of teachers in screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The current study examined the use of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) as completed by parents and teachers about school-age children from the Simons Simplex Collection. Using the recommended cutoff scores in the manuals and extant literature, the teacher-completed SCQ and SRS yielded lower sensitivity and specificity values than would be desirable; however, lowering the cutoff scores on both instruments improved sensitivity and specificity to more adequate levels for screening purposes. Using the adjusted cutoff scores, the SRS teacher form appears to be a slightly better screener than the SCQ. Implications and limitations are discussed, as well as areas for future research.