Recent studies of autism diagnosis in New Zealand have revealed inconsistent implementation of best practice standards in autism assessment and high rates of parental dissatisfaction with the diagnostic process. These findings have arisen despite the development and dissemination of the New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline (the…

In order to start providing important early intervention services to preschoolers and toddlers with autism, those children first need to be identified. Despite the availability of specialized autism assessment instruments, there is a need for effective screeners at the early childhood level. Three broadband behavior rating scales were evaluated in…

Impairments in cognitive flexibility have been used to characterize the neuropsychological presentation of persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Previous studies have yielded mixed results. Our objective was to systematically review the sensitivity of cognitive flexibility measures in ASD using quantitative methods employed by…

This article reports on a 4-year follow-up study from the Learning Experiences and Alternative Program for Preschoolers and Their Parents (LEAP) randomized trial of early intervention for young children with autism. Overall, participants from LEAP classes were marginally superior to comparison class children on elementary school outcomes specific…

Children (n=132), ages 1-16, were diagnosed for autism using the criteria in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Autistic Behavior Checklist, and third and fourth editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Agreement of the DSM-IV and ICD-10 with the other…

A study of 684 individuals yielded special population norms on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales for individuals with autism for mute children under 10, children with some verbal skills under 10, mute individuals who are 10 or older, and individuals with some verbal skills who are 10 or older. (Author/CR)

This study assessed the interrater reliability of a Swedish version of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), an instrument for screening and diagnosis of autism. The CARS was used for rating autistic behavior by two investigators in 25 children. Results indicated fair to excellent agreement. Aspects of validity and reliability are discussed.…

The review examines five measures designed to assess autistic symptomatology: Rimland's Diagnostic Checklist for Behavior-Disturbed Children, the Behavior Rating Instrument for Autistic and Atypical Children, the Behavior Observation Scale for Autism, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, and the Autism Behavior Checklist. Available studies of…

A study examined the validity of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) with 119 children (ages 3-10) with strict DSM-IV (Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV) diagnoses of autism. The GARS consistently underestimated the likelihood that children would be classified as having autism. Limitations of ratings scales and of the GARS…

Ten parents of preschoolers with autism and 10 parents of typical preschoolers were given the Detection of Autism by Infant Sociability Interview, which elicits reports on 19 aspects of social engagement characteristics. Findings indicate that infants with autism had marked limitations in both person-to-person and person-person-object social…

The reliability, validity, and clinical utility of the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale in the diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorders are reviewed. While the measure holds promise as a research tool, there appears little evidence that it can distinguish among the variety of types of pervasive developmental disorders, or diagnose Asperger…

The agreement between the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI- R) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) was investigated in the diagnostic assessment of 54 children (ages 22-114 months) referred for possible autism. The observed agreement between the two systems was 66.7%. The CARS identified more cases of autism than the ADI-R.…

This article describes the Gillian Autism Rating Scale, an interview-based instrument designed to identify individuals ages 3-22 who are autistic and to assess persons referred for serious behavior problems. The test accesses stereotyped behaviors, communication, social interaction, and developmental disturbances. Its administration,…