Purpose: No diagnostic tools exist for identifying social (pragmatic) communication disorder (SPCD), a new "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition" category for individuals with social communication deficits but not the repetitive, restricted behaviors and interests (RRBIs) that would qualify them for a…

Examined autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) symptoms in a clinically referred, non-ASD sample (N = 1160; ages 6-18) with and without oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Mothers and teachers completed "DSM-IV"-referenced symptom checklists. Youth with ODD were subdivided into angry/irritable symptom (AIS) or…

The number of young children with autism is ever-increasing, and school psychologists are more frequently required to identify these students. Valid screening tools are needed in order to focus school psychologists' time on those students in need of intensive evaluations in Early Intervention programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the…

The evidence from early intervention studies of autism has emphasised the need for early diagnosis. Insight into the early presentation of autism is crucial for early recognition, and routine screening can optimise the possibility for early diagnosis. General population screening was conducted for 2.5-year-old children at child health centres in…

According to the major classification systems it is not possible to diagnose a comorbid autistic disorder in persons with Rett syndrome. However, this is a controversial issue, and given the level of functioning of persons with Rett syndrome, the autistic disorder is expected to be present in a comparable proportion as in people with the same…

Reliability and validity for three autism instruments were compared for 190 children with low functioning autism (LFA), 190 children with high functioning autism or Asperger's disorder (HFA), 76 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 64 typical children. The instruments were the Checklist for Autism Spectrum Disorder…

Behavior checklists are often utilized to screen for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) when comprehensive evaluations are unfeasible. The usefulness of two behavioral checklists, the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), in identifying ASDs was investigated among 109 children with Autism, 32 children with ASD, and…

This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) and the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) in a sample of preschool children referred for possible pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). The sample consisted of 82 children between the ages of 18 and 70 months (54 with a PDD…

In British Columbia, Canada, two population-based databases have been linked at the level of the individual child: the "Early Development Instrument", a Kindergarten school readiness measure; and the "Foundation Skills Assessment", a Grade Four academic assessment. Utilising these linked data, we explored the early school…

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…

The Autism Behavior Checklist was completed for 67 autistic and 56 mentally retarded and learning-disabled children (ages 6-15). The checklist was effective in classifying children when using either the full scale or only the more highly weighted items. Results did not support a single unidimensional scale or subdividing the checklist into five…

This monograph presents 11 papers on a study of the problem of specific diagnosis with children who do not communicate effectively. About 500 children with inadequate communication skills, selected as having a developmental language disorder, autism, or low IQ without autistic features, were studied by a multidisciplinary team. Data collected…