This study compared DSM-III-R (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual III, Revised), Childhood Autism Rating Scale, and clinical diagnoses of 138 admissions to a program for diagnosis and treatment of autistic and related communication-handicapped individuals. Results indicated generally high agreement on the diagnosis of autism, with DSM-III-R…

This paper assesses to what extent the ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) criteria differ from other diagnostic systems for Asperger syndrome. The paper concludes that the variety of criteria in use makes interpretation of research findings difficult and that the ICD-10 criteria are the most stringent and closest to Hans Asperger's…

Two types of classification error are possible in competency tests: erroneous classification of an individual as a "master" of the subject (Type II error), and erroneous classification of a master as a "nonmaster" of the subject (Type I). If steps are taken to minimize Type II errors, an artificially high number of true masters…

Concurrent validity testing of the Slosson Intelligence Test-Revised with the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (Fourth Edition), involving 191 individuals (ages 5-69 and IQs of 36 to 110), found a high correlation between the two scales. However, the Slosson unsatisfactorily matched the Stanford-Binet's assignment of individuals to IQ categories.…

This paper compared clinicians' diagnosis and DSM-III (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), DSM-III-R (Revised), and ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) diagnoses of 52 individuals with autism and 62 nonautistic, developmentally disordered individuals. The DSM-III-R system overdiagnosed the presence of autism, and ICD-10 closely…

Enough evidence has accumulated on Bloom's "Taxonomy of Educational Objectives" for the cognitive domain to justify a review of its communicability. This article covers both published and unpublished studies as well as certain informal reports that bear on this property. It also examines possibilities for improving agreement among…

The study evaluated the utility of Kaufman-Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) subtests in differentiating learning-disabled children from students with other handicapping conditions, and compared K-ABC subtests with Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised subtests. Results showed that subtest scores did not enhance differential…

This essay notes the complexities inherent in classifying pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), especially when a single classification scheme is to be used for clinical, research, and administrative purposes. The paper considers principles of classification, symptomatology, the neuropsychiatric interface, the value of a multiaxial approach,…

Forty parents of children with autism or pervasive developmental disorder completed the Wing Subgroups Questionnaire, developed for subclassifying children into one of L. Wing's three hypothesized subgroups. Results indicated that the questionnaire has adequate external criterion-referenced validity, with similar subgroup ratings made by…

This study, with 66 regular classroom children and 52 children with learning disabilities, found high correlations among the Cognitive Levels Test, the KeyMath-Revised measure, and the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised. Overall, 81 percent of subjects were correctly classified using the three-instrument battery. (Author/DB)

Three studies examined subtest profiles of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children: the first developed a normative taxonomy of subtest patterns using cluster analysis; the second compared subtest patterns of children with various disabilities; and the third used core patterns to identify children with unusual patterns. Results opposed the…

This study examined dynamic assessment as a less biased evaluation procedure for assessing the language-learning ability of Native American young children (N=23) identified as either stronger or weaker language learners. Through a test-teach-test protocol, participants were taught principles of categorization. Results supported the further…

This study examined the validity and internal and interrater reliability of the Wing Subgroups Questionnaire, an assessment that classifies children with autism into subtypes. Subjects were 42 students (ages 5 to 22) enrolled in multihandicapped special education classrooms. Findings support the reliability and validity of the questionnaire for…

Examines traditional psychometric approaches to measuring intelligence and recent work by cognitive psychologists to develop a rationale for a non-verbal reasoning test for 10- to 11-year-olds. Recent studies providing basis for analyzing structure of test items are outlined, and benefits of analyzing items at a sub-type level are discussed.…

Autism Behavior Checklists were completed for 52 autistic individuals (ages 2-31) and 62 nonautistic individuals, and data were analyzed using signal detection methodology. A single item (looks "through" people) combined with one of five other items discriminated as well as the sum scores, and further combinations did not improve…