Administration of the Autism Behavior Checklist: agreement between parents and professionals' observations in two intervention contexts

Comparison of diagnostic validity of two autism rating scales for suspected autism in a large Chinese sample

BACKGROUND

Autism is the most common clinical developmental disorder in children. The childhood autism rating scale (CARS) and autistic autism behavior checklist (ABC) are the most commonly used assessment scales for diagnosing autism. However, the diagnostic validations and the corresponding cutoffs for CARS and ABC in individuals with suspected autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remain unclear. Furthermore, for suspected ASD in China, it remains unclear whether CARS is a better diagnostic tool than ABC. Also unclear is whether the current cutoff points for ABC and CARS are suitable for the accurate diagnosis of ASD.

AIM

To investigate the diagnostic validity of CARS and ABC based on a large Chinese sample.

METHODS

A total of 591 outpatient children from the ASD Unit at Beijing Children’s Hospital between June and November 2019 were identified. First, the Clancy autism behavior scale (CABS) was used to screen out suspected autism from these children. Then, each suspected ASD was evaluated by CARS and ABC. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to compare diagnostic validations. We also calculated the area under the curve (AUC) for both CARS and ABC.

RESULTS

We found that the Cronbach alpha coefficients of CARS and ABC were 0.772 and 0.426, respectively. Therefore, the reliability of the CARS was higher than that of the ABC. In addition, we found that the correlation between CARS and CABS was 0.732. Next, we performed ROC curve analysis for CARS and ABC, which yielded AUC values of 0.846 and 0.768, respectively. The cutoff value, which is associated with the maximum Youden index, is usually applied as a decision threshold. We found that the cutoff values of CARS and ABC were 34 and 67, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This result indicated that CARS is superior to ABC in the Chinese population with suspected ASD.

Challenges on Diagnoses and Assessments Related to Autism Spectrum Disorder in Brazil: A Systematic Review

Being a continental country, with over 210 million citizens, Brazil is similar to all of those who are part of the LAMIC (Low and middle income countries). It shows a big concentration of wealth, mainly in its south and southeast regions, as well as areas with immense poverty. In that sense, the health system also faces a huge amount of contrast. Inside University hospitals and facilities there are sophisticated tools and trained doctors prepared to assist in any kind of medical subject, including autism. But, unfortunately, at other times, the access to a good health system is made much harder. This results in many issues in the medical community, e.g., looking at the data regarding autism, there is a high average of the age of diagnosis. Another issue is the low number of professionals trained in ASD diagnosis and the few tools translated to Portuguese.

Comprehension of ambiguity for children with Specific Language Impairment and Autism Spectrum Disorder

PURPOSE

To verify and compare the performance of children and adolescents with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using a formal, standardized test that assesses language competence, more specifically comprehension of ambiguity.

METHODS

The sample comprised 19 individuals aged 6 to 14 years, of both genders, divided into two groups: ASD Group (9) and SLI Group (10). Participants were assessed using the Test of Language Competence - TLC; Ambiguous Sentences subtest (Wiig, Secord, 1989). Analysis included the comparison of the total scores in both groups.

RESULTS

We found significant difference between the groups, with better performance of the SLI Group compared with that of the ASD Group.

CONCLUSION

It was possible to analyze and compare the performance of both groups in a metalinguistic activity. We observed better performance of the SLI group compared with that of the ASD Group in the interpretation of ambiguous information.

Questionário de indicadores clínicos de risco para o desenvolvimento infantil: avaliação da sensibilidade para transtornos do espectro do autismo

Objetivo Avaliar a sensibilidade do IRDI-questionário para pais, para rastreamento de transtornos do espectro do autismo. Métodos Participaram do estudo 72 sujeitos, familiares de crianças na faixa etária de 2 anos e 11 meses a 7 anos e 7 meses, divididos em dois grupos: grupo pesquisa e grupo controle. O IRDI-questionário foi aplicado nos dois grupos estudados e a CARS-BR foi aplicada no grupo pesquisa. Os dados foram submetidos à análise estatística e, para a validade, foi realizado o coeficiente de correlação de Pearson, entre o IRDI-questionário e a CARS-BR, somente para o grupo pesquisa. Na definição do ponto de corte do escore gerado pelo instrumento IRDI-questionário, foi utilizada a curva ROC e calculados os valores de sensibilidade, especificidade e valor preditivo positivo. Na análise de concordância para o IRDI-questionário, foi utilizado o coeficiente de Kappa e concordância total. Resultados O IRDI-questionário mostrou-se de fácil aplicação, rapidez no preenchimento e baixo custo. A análise da consistência interna das questões do instrumento apresentou bom índice. Na comparação com a CARS-BR, apresentou correlação positiva. A análise da curva ROC identificou bom desempenho. Conclusão A avaliação da sensibilidade do instrumento, para fins de rastreamento de transtornos do espectro do autismo, mostrou bons índices, a partir do ponto de corte estabelecido no estudo.

Levantamento de protocolos e métodos diagnósticos do transtorno autista aplicáveis na clínica fonoaudiológica: uma revisão de literatura

A Fonoaudiologia, no âmbito das ciências da saúde que estudam a comunicação humana, assume grande importância tanto no diagnóstico quanto no tratamento daquelas pessoas com autismo. Entretanto, ainda são poucos os fonoaudiólogos que publicam regularmente sobre o tema, o que demonstra ser uma área que necessita de mais estudos. O transtorno autista caracteriza-se por um prejuízo no desenvolvimento da interação social, da comunicação e do comportamento. Seu diagnóstico deve ser criterioso e considerar os três campos acima. É comum o fonoaudiólogo ser o primeiro profissional procurado pelos pais de crianças autistas; portanto, ele deve saber identificar esses casos. O objetivo da pesquisa foi levantar métodos e protocolos de avaliação e diagnóstico do transtorno autista, disponíveis na literatura nacional, cujas aplicações possam ser da prática clínica fonoaudiológica. A partir de várias referências, encontraram-se dez protocolos: sete traduzidos e validados da língua estrangeira para o português brasileiro e três desenvolvidos no próprio Brasil. Não foram encontradas publicações nacionais que utilizassem quatro dos dez instrumentos apresentados para fins de triagem ou diagnóstico de casos suspeitos ou com risco para autismo. Evidencia-se, também, a pouca participação do fonoaudiólogo nesse processo. Além disso, nenhum desses instrumentos foi considerado preciso para diagnosticar esse transtorno. É importante salientar que é necessária uma reflexão crítica à realidade do que ocorre, ainda, no processo de diagnóstico do autismo.

Comparison of the evolutional process of children with autism spectrum disorders in different language therapeutic interventions

PURPOSE

To analyze and compare the extension and the speed of the evolutional process of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in direct and indirect interventions as opposed to only indirect intervention.

METHODS

The design of this study is a clinical trial. The sample was composed of 11 children diagnosed with Autism (n=6) and Asperger syndrome (n=5) by a multidisciplinary team, that attended specialized speech-language pathology therapy at the institution were the study was carried out. These children were randomly divided into two groups: Therapy Group (TG) - composed by six subjects receiving both direct and indirect intervention; and Orientation Group (OG) - constituted by five subjects receiving exclusively indirect intervention. It was used the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) to interview the mothers, and the Sample of Vocal Behavior (SVB), in three occasions: at the beginning of the intervention process (time 0), six months later (time 1) and 12 months later (time 2).

RESULTS

It was observed greater speed and extension in the evolutional process of the TG Group, both in the analysis of the Autism Behavior Checklist (total and partial scores) and the Sample of Vocal Behavior, especially in the item Full Language. The performance of children with Asperger syndrome was considered more positive when compared to that of children with autism. There was greater evolution in younger children and with normal, mild, and moderate adaptive functioning.

CONCLUSION

The tendency towards better performance of the children attending direct and indirect intervention showed that this association is fundamental in the therapeutic process of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Development of a multi-dimensional scale for PDD and ADHD

A novel assessment scale, the multi-dimensional scale for pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (MSPA), is reported. Existing assessment scales are intended to establish each diagnosis. However, the diagnosis by itself does not always capture individual characteristics or indicate the level of support required, since inter-individual differences are substantial and co-morbidity is common. The MSPA consists of 14 domains and each domain is rated by a nine-point quantitative scale. The clinical and behavioral features are projected onto a radar-chart, which facilitates understanding of the disorders both by the patients themselves and by those in their surroundings. We assessed 179 patients and analyzed features by six diagnostic subgroups, which showed relationships between features and diagnoses. The inter-rater reliability was satisfactory.

Update on autism: a review of 1300 reports published in 2008

This publication, by reviewing 1300 studies published on autism in 2008, represents an update on this topic. Results include possible parental influences, maternal conditions, and studies on genes and chromosomes. Possible etiological factors involve the "extreme male brain," defects in the mirror neuron system, vaccines, underconnectivity, disorders of central coherence, and many other more specific etiologies. Assessments or tests for autism are also reviewed. Characteristics of autistic individuals include repetitive behavior, language disorders, sleep disturbances, social problems, joint attention disorders, seizures, allergic reactions, and various behavioral changes. Cognitive changes involve IQ, reasoning, and verbal and language disorders. The savant syndrome is a fascinating phenomenon, at times seen in autistic individuals. Neurophysiological and neuroanatomical changes are also reviewed, as are comorbid conditions. Finally, treatment involves various medications including risperidone, ziprasidone, and antipsychotic drugs, as well as different procedures such as magnetic stimulation, acupuncture, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. As mentioned in the 2007 survey, nearly every conceivable problem that a child can have may be found in these unfortunate children and nearly every conceivable etiology has been mentioned to account for this serious disorder.