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This study assessed the potential short-term effects of COVID-19 stay-at-home restrictions on ratings of ASD and comorbid symptoms severity and adaptive functioning of 69 youth, ages 8-16 years with ASD without intellectual disability. Parent/caregiver ratings were being collected in fall and spring over approximately two years when the restrictions were imposed four months prior to the final data collection point. Results indicated no significant changes in parent/caregiver ratings of ASD symptom severity, comorbid symptoms severity, social skills, or adaptive behaviors following the stay-at-home restrictions and little variability across the four data collection points. Although findings suggested minimal short-term effects on these symptoms and adaptive skills, ongoing monitoring is needed to assess longer-term impacts.

Objectives The present research used a continuous measurement approach to extend the evidence that autism is associated with significant struggles in physical health as well as mental health and psychological well-being. Methods The relationship of autism characteristics to physical health and psychological well-being was examined in 294 individuals (M age = 70.51, SD age = 8.17, age range = 53–96). The sample is 57.4% female (n = 166) and primarily White (n = 270, 96.8%). The majority of the participants did not identify as having an autism diagnosis (n = 284, 96.6%). Participants completed the Autism-Spectrum Quotient Scale alongside self-report measures of physical health, mental health, and psychological well-being. Results Autism characteristics correlated strongly with challenges in social engagement due to poor health (r = 0.46), depression (r = 0.39) and anxiety (r = 0.47), limitations due to poor mental health (r = 0.41), satisfaction with life (r = −0.47), and psychological well-being (r = −0.62). Discussion These findings help shed light on the challenges experienced by individuals aging with elevated autism characteristics. The limitations of this study and prior work on this topic help identify important avenues for future research in this area.

A prior cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared outcomes for a comprehensive school intervention (schoolMAX) to typical educational programming (services-as-usual [SAU]) for 103 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability. The schoolMAX intervention was superior to SAU in improving social-cognitive understanding (emotion-recognition), social/social-communication skills, and ASD-related impairment (symptoms). In the current study, a range of demographic, clinical, and school variables were tested as potential moderators of treatment outcomes from the prior RCT. Moderation effects were not evident in demographics, child IQ, language, or ASD diagnostic symptoms, or school SES. Baseline externalizing symptoms moderated the outcome of social-cognitive understanding and adaptive skills moderated the outcome of ASD-related symptoms (no other comorbid symptoms or adaptive skills ratings moderated outcomes on the three measures). Overall, findings suggest that the main effects of treatment were, with two exceptions, unaffected by third variables.

The Adapted Skillstreaming Checklist measures social/social-communication skills and behavioral flexibility/regulation of children with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability. Prior studies provided support for the reliability and criterion-related validity of the Adapted Skillstreaming Checklist total score for these children; however, no studies have examined the Adapted Skillstreaming Checklist factor structure. This exploratory factor analysis examined the factor structure and internal consistency of parent ratings on the Adapted Skillstreaming Checklist for a sample of 331 children, ages 6–12 years, with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability. Results yielded a correlated three-factor solution. The individual factors and total score demonstrated very good internal consistency reliability. Findings supported the presence and interpretability of three subscales, as well as derivation of a total composite reflecting overall prosocial and adaptive skills and behaviors. Implications for assessment and research are discussed.

This study examined sex differences in externalizing and internalizing symptoms of children with ASD without intellectual disability (ID). The sample (n = 80) included 40 girls and 40 boys, ages 6-12 years, with ASD (without ID) matched on age and IQ. Externalizing and internalizing symptoms were significantly elevated for this sample (girls and boys) relative to normative estimates for all the scales (hyperactivity, aggression, anxiety, and depression) except conduct problems. No significant differences were found between girls and boys for either externalizing symptoms or internalizing symptoms (based on standard score and raw score analyses). Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

In the last decade, the prevalence of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability (ID) in schools has increased. However, there is a paucity of information on special education placement, service use, and relationships between service use and demographic variables for children with ASD without ID. This study aimed to describe and explore variation in type and amount of special education services provided to (N = 89) children with ASD. Results indicated that the largest percentage of children received services under the Autism classification (56.2%) and were in partial-inclusion settings (40.4%). The main services received were speech (70.8%) and occupational (56.2%) therapies, while few children received behavior plans (15.7%) or social skills instruction (16.9%). Correlates with service use are described.

Background Group-based social skills interventions (GSSIs) are commonly used to address the social impairments of youth with ASD. However, the administration of treatments in group formats (i.e., clusters) poses several methodological challenges including accounting for cluster effects. The most recent and comprehensive meta-analysis of RCTs of GSSIs for youth with ASD yielded an overall medium effect (g = 0.51; Gates et al., 2017). This suggested a positive effect; however, little is known about the extent to which the studies adhered to standards for conducting and reporting RCTs including standards related to group-based interventions. Method The current review assessed the extent to which the study planning, data assessment, and data analytic procedures used in the RCTs (N =18) included in the meta-analysis adhered to established standards for RCTs. Results Results were consistent across the three areas assessed and suggested an overall adherence rate of 42% (range 41%–43%). Significant variability was found within each of the three areas and suggested that few facets of the standards were met by a majority of studies. The statistically-oriented aspects were most neglected. None of the studies accounted for the group-based (clustered) design and delivery of the intervention which can negatively impact power, effect size, and precision estimates and overestimate intervention effects. Year of article publication and journal impact factor were predominantly unrelated to adherence rates. Conclusions Increased familiarization with standards for RCTs appears necessary to improve the practices of researchers, along with increased requirements for adherence by journal editors and reviewers.

Since its development in 2010, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been adopted in over 40 states. While the literature discussing the implications of this initiative is robust, the research examining its effect on K–12 physical education (PE) is limited. Moreover, there is little empirical data on the effect of the CCSS on student physical activity (PA) rates in PE. Thus, this study examined the effect of CCSS instructional integration into PE lessons on PA rates of sixthgrade students and on student and teacher perceptions in a public K–12 school. This study utilized a one-group within-subjects randomized design. Rates of PA were compared between PE classes that integrated the CCSS (i.e., CC+) and PE classes that did not integrate the CCSS (i.e., CC-). Student and teacher perceptions of the lessons were also studied. In addition, the feasibility (i.e., acceptability) of the use of an objective measure of PA intensity (accelerometer) was assessed. A linear mixed model analysis of percentage of time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) produced a significant effect for condition, CC+ M = 19.7%, SD = 7.0; CC- M = 33.1%, SD = 10.4, F(1, 24) = 182.82, p < .001, d = 1.46, 95% CI [.88, 2.41]. The mixed-model analysis of total steps per minute also produced a significant difference by condition, CC+ M = 20.99, SD = 9.46; CC- M = 32.76, SD = 9.46, F(1, 21) = 133.45, p < .001, d = 1.48, 95% CI [.90, 2.15]. Linear mixed-model analysis of student and teacher perceptions showed no significant differences on any of the six items, indicating general agreement. Intraclass correlations of the student and teacher reports were 0.70 for the CC- items and 0.68 for the CC+ items, again demonstrating general agreement between students and the teacher. Students reported that the accelerometer was “easy to wear” (4.05 out of 5.0); the teacher report was slightly higher (4.83 out of 5.0). Large effect sizes on both PA dependent measures suggest that CCSS integration tasks may have a significant negative effect on PA levels. Student and teacher reports did not differ between CC+ and CC- lessons on a number of lesson attributes and also suggest that the use of accelerometers to measure PA is acceptable. More research needs to explore whether these results generalize to other settings, teachers, students, and activities and examine the overall effect of the CCSS on fitness across the school year. In addition, future research should examine whether certain types of CCSS integration tasks may be more successful with sustaining MVPA. Subscribe to TPE

Background: The historical focus on autism as a childhood disorder means that evidence regarding autism in adulthood lags significantly behind research in other age groups. Emerging studies on the relationship of age with autism characteristics do not target older adult samples, which presents a barrier to studying the important variability that exists in life span developmental research. This study aims to further our understanding of the relationship between the Autism-Spectrum Quotient Scale and age in a large adult sample. Methods: The present study examines the relationship of Autism-Spectrum Quotient Scale (AQ) scores with age in 1139 adults, ages 18–97 years. Participants came from three distinct samples—a sample of primarily students, a sample of MTurk participants, and a sample of primarily community dwelling older adults. The majority of the participants did not self-report an autism diagnosis (91%), were female (67%), and identified as White (81%). Participants completed the AQ primarily via online surveys. Researchers scored the AQ following six common scoring practices. Results: Results of preregistered analyses indicate that autism characteristics measured by the AQ are not strongly associated with age (r values from −0.01 to −0.11). Further findings indicate that the measurement of autism characteristics is consistent across age into late life using both multiple groups and local structural equation modeling approaches to measurement invariance (comparative fit indices = 0.82–0.83, root mean square error = 0.06) as well as reliability analysis. Finally, demographic and autism-related variables (sex, race, self-identified autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, and degree of autism characteristics) did not moderate the relationship between age and autism characteristics. Conclusion: These results suggest that self-reports of autism characteristics using the AQ do not vary strongly by age in this large age-representative sample. Findings suggest that the AQ can potentially serve as a useful tool for future research on autism across the life span. Important limitations on what we can learn from these findings point toward critical avenues for future research in this area. LAY SUMMARY: WHY WAS THIS STUDY DONE? Self-report questionnaires of autism characteristics are a potentially important resource for studying autism in adulthood. This study sought to provide additional information about one of the most commonly used self-report questionnaires, the Autism-Spectrum Quotient Scale (AQ), across adulthood. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY? This study intended to determine if there is a relationship between scores on the AQ and age. Researchers also worked to identify which of the multiple different ways of scoring the AQ worked best across adulthood. WHAT DID THE RESEARCHERS DO? Researchers collected data from over a thousand participants aged 18–97 years. Participants from three different age groups completed online surveys to self-report their levels of autism characteristics on the AQ. Researchers tested the relationship between AQ scores and age with six different commonly used ways to calculate AQ scores. Researchers used multiple statistical techniques to evaluate various measurement properties of the AQ. WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY? The results indicate that autism characteristics measured by the AQ are not strongly associated with age. Along with that, there is evidence that certain approaches to measuring of autism characteristics are consistent across age into late life and do not vary with demographic and autism-related factors. WHAT DO THESE FINDINGS ADD TO WHAT WAS ALREADY KNOWN? These results add to the growing evidence that self-reports of autism characteristics using the AQ in general samples are not strongly associated with age across adulthood. These findings also provide guidance about ways of scoring the AQ that work well through late life. WHAT ARE POTENTIAL WEAKNESSES IN THE STUDY? While the AQ has a degree of relationship with autism diagnoses, this is far from perfect and has not been evaluated in the context of aging research. Therefore, findings from the present research must be carefully interpreted to be about autism characteristics not diagnoses. The sample was also limited in a number of other ways. As in any studies including a broad age range of individuals, the oldest participants are likely quite healthy, engaged individuals. This may particularly be the case given the higher mortality rates and health challenges seen with autism. Similarly, as with any self-report research, this research is limited to those individuals who could answer questions about their autism characteristics. The sample was also predominantly White and nonautistic. Finally, the research was limited to one point in time and so cannot tell us about how autism characteristics may change across adulthood. HOW WILL THESE FINDINGS HELP AUTISTIC ADULTS NOW OR IN THE FUTURE? These findings support the potential for the AQ to be a useful tool for future research on autism in adulthood. For example, researchers can use measures such as the AQ to study how autism characteristics change over time or are associated with aging-related issues such as changes in physical health and memory. Such research may be able to provide a better understanding of how to support autistic individuals across adulthood.

This study examined the psychometric characteristics of the Cambridge-Mindreading Face-Voice Battery for Children (CAM-C) for a sample of 333 children, ages 6-12 years with ASD (with no intellectual disability). Internal consistency was very good for the Total score (0.81 for both Faces and Voices) and respectable for the Complex emotions score (0.72 for Faces and 0.74 for Voices); however, internal consistency was lower for Simple emotions (0.65 for Faces and 0.61 for Voices). Test-retest reliability at 18 and 36 weeks was very good for the faces and voices total (0.76-0.81) and good for simple and complex faces and voices (0.53-0.75). Significant correlations were found between CAM-C Faces and scores on another measure of face-emotion recognition (Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy-Second Edition), and between Faces and Voices scores and child age, IQ (except perceptual IQ and Simple Voice emotions), and language ability. Parent-reported ASD symptom severity and the Emotion Recognition scale on the SRS-2 were not related to CAM-C scores. Suggestions for future studies and further development of the CAM-C are provided. LAY SUMMARY: Facial and vocal emotion recognition are important for social interaction and have been identified as a challenge for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Emotion recognition is an area frequently targeted by interventions. This study evaluated a measure of emotion recognition (the CAM-C) for its consistency and validity in a large sample of children with autism. The study found the CAM-C showed many strengths needed to accurately measure the change in emotion recognition during intervention.

This study tested the efficacy of an intensive outpatient psychosocial treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability (ID). Eighty-eight children (ages 7...

Purpose: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability (ID) exhibit social and motor impairments and circumscribed interests/behaviors that contribute to lower physic...

The present meta-analysis synthesizes the emerging literature on the relationship of Big Five personality traits to autism spectrum disorder. Studies were included if they (1) either (a) measured autism spectrum disorder characteristics using a metric that yielded a single score quantification of the magnitude of autism spectrum disorder characteristics and/or (b) studied individuals with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis compared to individuals without an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and (2) measured Big Five traits in the same sample or samples. Fourteen reviewed studies include both correlational analyses and group comparisons. Eighteen effect sizes per Big Five trait were used to calculate two overall effect sizes per trait. Meta-analytic effects were calculated using random effects models. Twelve effects (per trait) from nine studies reporting correlations yielded a negative association between each Big Five personality trait and autism spectrum disorder characteristics (Fisher’s z ranged from –.21 (conscientiousness) to –.50 (extraversion)). Six group contrasts (per trait) from six studies comparing individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder to neurotypical individuals were also substantial (Hedges’ g ranged from –.88 (conscientiousness) to −1.42 (extraversion)). The potential impact of personality on important life outcomes and new directions for future research on personality in autism spectrum disorder are discussed in light of results.

This study examined the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a comprehensive summer psychosocial treatment (summerMAXyc) for high-functioning young children, ages 4–6 years, with ASD (HFASD). The 5-week treatment, conducted 5 days per week, 6 h per day, included skills instruction and therapeutic activities targeting social/social-communication skills, facial-emotion recognition, and interest expansion. A behavioral system was implemented to increase skills acquisition and maintenance and reduce ASD symptoms and problem behaviors. Feasibility was supported in high levels of treatment fidelity and child, parent, and staff clinician satisfaction. Significant post-treatment improvements were found for 9 of 10 outcome measures including parent and staff clinician ratings of targeted social/social-communication skills, ASD symptoms, and broader adaptive social and communication skills, and staff clinician ratings of daily living skills. Results suggested that summerMAXyc was feasible and may yield positive outcomes for 4–6 year olds with HFASD.

Schools are being confronted with an increasing population of high-functioning students with autism spectrum disorder (HFASD). These students pose particular challenges to school-based practitioners and teachers given their social-communication deficits, restricted and repetitive behaviors/interests, and relative cognitive and language strengths. This article examines the impact of HFASD at the student, classroom, and district levels, and existing evidence-based strategies and techniques to improve social competence and daily functioning. It then proposes a comprehensive intervention framework for school practitioners and provides an example of a model comprehensive school-based program. Future directions and areas in need of study are also discussed.

This study extended the research on correlates of adaptive functioning of high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) using the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Second Edition (BASC-2). Specifically, this study investigated the relationships between adaptive behavior and age, IQ, and ASD symptomology, in a well-characterized sample of 119 children with HFASD, ages 6-11 years. Results revealed age and IQ were not significantly correlated with adaptive ability. However, total autism symptoms [measured by the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R)], as well as ASD-social symptoms were negatively correlated with adaptive ability. Mean comparisons revealed that participants falling into the clinically-significant range of the BASC-2 Adaptive Skills Composite (ASC) displayed significantly greater levels of both overall and social ASD symptoms.

This study assessed the reliability and criterion-related validity of teacher ratings on the Adapted Skillstreaming Checklist for a sample of 133 children, aged 6–11 years, with autism spectrum disorder (without intellectual disability). Internal consistency for the total sample was 0.93. For a subsample, test–retest reliability was very good ( r = 0.74; intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.85) at a 9-month interval. Child age, intelligence quotient, language abilities, and sex were not associated with the Adapted Skillstreaming Checklist total score. The Adapted Skillstreaming Checklist total score was inversely and strongly related to teacher ratings of autism spectrum disorder symptom severity. Significant positive correlations (moderate-to-high) were found between the Adapted Skillstreaming Checklist and prosocial skills scales and significant negative correlations (low-to-moderate) with problem behavior scales on a broad measure of child functioning. Implications and suggestions for future study are discussed.

This study examined psychometric characteristics of the Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy—Second Edition (DANVA-2) in 121 children, ages 6 to 13 years, with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD). Internal consistency for adult and child faces subtests were .70 and .75, respectively. Immediate test–retest reliability in the total sample (N = 121) ranged from .78 to .84. Reliability for two subsamples for 5- (n = 21) and 12-week (n = 21) intervals ranged from .75 to .90 and from .43 to .68, respectively. DANVA-2 scores strongly converged with two measures of emotion recognition but were unrelated to parent ratings of social functioning and ASD symptoms. Significant correlations (small to medium) were found between DANVA-2 scores and child age, IQ, and language ability.

This study examined informant discrepancies for parent and teacher adaptive behavior ratings of 103 children, ages 6-12 years, with ASD (without intellectual disability). Scores on the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, third edition (Harrison and Oakland, Western Psychological Services, Los Angeles, 2015) General Adaptive Composite (GAC) and practical, social, and conceptual domains were examined for mean differences, level of agreement, and moderators of difference scores between informant groups. Teacher scores were significantly higher (indicating better functioning) than parents for the GAC and practical domain. Parent and teacher scores were moderately correlated and Bland-Altman plots and regression analyses revealed no systematic differences in parent-teacher agreement across the range of scores. None of the tested variables moderated the parent-teacher difference scores. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.

This community effectiveness randomized clinical trial examined the feasibility and effectiveness of a comprehensive psychosocial treatment, summerMAX, when implemented by a community agency. Fifty-seven high-functioning children (48 male, 9 female), ages 7-12 years with autism spectrum disorder participated in this study. The 5-week summerMAX treatment included instruction and therapeutic activities targeting social/social-communication skills, interpretation of nonliteral language skills, face-emotion recognition skills, and interest expansion. A behavioral program was also used to increase skills acquisition and decrease autism spectrum disorder symptoms and problem behaviors. Feasibility was supported via high levels of fidelity and parent, child, and staff clinician satisfaction. Significant treatment effects favoring the treatment group over waitlist controls were found on all 5 of the primary outcome measures (i.e., child test of nonliteral language skills and parent ratings of the children's autism spectrum disorder symptoms, targeted social/social-communication skills, broader social performance, and withdrawal). Staff clinician ratings substantiated the improvements reported by parents. Results of this randomized clinical trial are consistent with those of prior studies of summerMAX and suggest that the program was feasible and effective when implemented by a community agency under real-world conditions.

This study was conducted to extend the research on the adaptive skills of 55 high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) and 55 children with ASD and co-occurring intellectual disability (LFASD), ages 6–12, using the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Second Edition (ABAS-II). This study examined each group’s adaptive profile, compared adaptive functioning and cognitive ability, and assessed correlates (i.e., age, IQ) of adaptive skills. Results indicated children with HFASD demonstrated cognitive strengths and adaptive deficits, while children with LFASD demonstrated adaptive strengths in the areas of social and conceptual skills, and practical skills commensurate with estimated cognitive ability. Within the HFASD sample, age significantly, negatively correlated with adaptive social ability, while IQ was not significantly correlated with adaptive behavior. Conversely, in the LFASD sample, age did not correlate with adaptive ability, although IQ was significantly related to overall adaptive ability and all domains of the ABAS-II.

This study compared parent and teacher ratings of ASD-related symptoms of 120 high-functioning children, ages 6-12 years with ASD (HFASD) using the Developmental Social Disorders (DSD) scale of the BASC-2. DSD ratings (parent and teacher) were significantly higher than normative estimates. The cross-informant comparison was significantly higher for parents (vs. teachers), and correlations (ICC and Pearson) between the informant groups were significant (but low in magnitude). Agreement among parents and teachers accurately placed 81 % of cases above the at-risk cutpoint for symptoms of ASD, and agreement was highest in the at-risk range of perceived symptoms. Additional analyses indicated a significant difference in the trend across the parent-teacher discrepancies, and no significant moderators of the discrepancies. Implications for assessment are provided.

This study examined the factor structure and internal consistency of special education teaching staff ratings on the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2; Constantino and Gruber 2012), as well as the percentage of ratings falling above pre-established cut scores, for a sample of lower-functioning youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 264). Results of the exploratory factor analysis yielded a four-factor correlated solution. The individual factors and total score demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency reliability for screening purposes. When applying the lowest pre-established cut score (T ≥ 60; minimum indication of clinically significant symptoms/impairments), 85 % of the sample had ratings in that range or higher (more severe). Implications for assessment and future research are provided.

We examined anxiety and depression clinical symptom levels in 42 typically-developing (TD) siblings of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD), compared to 42 TD siblings of TD children, matched on age, ethnicity, and gender. Participants were between the ages of 6 and 16. Groups were compared using the parent-report and child self-report versions of the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition, anxiety and depression clinical scales. Within-group differences were examined for parent versus child ratings. Multivariate procedures did not support clinically elevated levels of internalizing problems in siblings of children with HFASD. Results from both sources were consistent with the overall finding. The findings do not support an increased need for targeted intervention, though clinical and school-based practitioners should attend to clinical warning signs if presented.

High-functioning students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been shown to have significant reading comprehension difficulty. This multiple baseline study examined the effect of the think before reading, think while reading, and think after reading (TWA) strategy on expository text comprehension of four boys with ASD. Following baseline, each student received six sessions of TWA instruction. Data were collected on retell and comprehension question accuracy during the baseline, intervention and maintenance phases. Results supported the effectiveness of TWA as a reading strategy to increase the expository text comprehension of students with ASD. Effects during the intervention phase were immediate and consistent for comprehension questions, with greater variability observed for retell. Data collected at maintenance suggested that the gains were sustained for both comprehension questions and retell.

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of mind reading as a component of a comprehensive psychosocial treatment for 36 high-functioning children, ages 7–12 years with ASD (HFASD). All participants received the comprehensive 5-week summer treatment (summerMAX), with half randomly assigned to also receive mind reading (emotion-recognition) computer instruction as part of the treatment (summerMAX + MR). Primary analyses of proximal measures indicated significantly better performance on face emotion-recognition testing for the summerMAX + MR group (vs. summerMAX alone), and significant gains in voice emotion-recognition child testing and parent- and clinician-rated emotion recognition skills for the overall group, but no between-groups differences. Secondary analyses of distal measures indicated significant improvements on broader emotion-recognition child testing and parent and clinician ratings of program-targeted social/social-communication skills, broad social skills, and ASD-related symptoms for the overall group (summerMAX + MR and summerMAX combined) and no significant differences between the conditions (summerMAX + MR vs. summerMAX). Results suggested that mind reading may result in significant but narrow gains when included as part of this intensive psychosocial treatment for children with HFASD.

Prior studies of sex-based differences in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have yielded mixed findings. This study examined ASD symptom severity and functional correlates in a sample of 34 high-functioning females with ASD (HFASD; M age = 8.93; M IQ = 104.64) compared to 34 matched males (M age = 8.96; M IQ = 104.44) using the Social Responsiveness Scale-Second Edition (SRS-2). Results identified non-significant and minimal differences (negligible-to-small) on the SRS-2 total, DSM-5 symptom subscale, and treatment subscale scores. Significant negative (moderate) correlations were found between the SRS-2 Social Cognition subscale and IQ and language scores and between the SRS-2 Social Motivation subscale and receptive language scores for females only; no significant correlations were found for males.

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of treatment intensity (high intensity vs. lower intensity) on the feasibility and efficacy of a comprehensive psychosocial treatment for 47 high-functioning children, ages 7–12 years with ASD (HFASD). All participants received the comprehensive 5-week summer treatment (summerMAX), with half receiving the previously validated high-intensity (HI) program (2:1 child-to-staff ratio) and half receiving a lower intensity (LI) version of the same program (4:1 child-to-staff ratio). Results of the primary analyses indicated significant improvements on non-literal language and emotion recognition (decoding) child testing and parent ratings of targeted and broad social skills, ASD-related symptoms, withdrawal, and behavioral symptoms for the overall group (HI and LI combined) and no significant difference between the conditions (HI vs. LI). Secondary staff clinician ratings corroborated parent ratings. No significant cross-condition differences were observed in fidelity of implementation or in parent, child, or staff clinician satisfaction ratings indicating no reduction in feasibility for the LI group. Overall, results suggested that similar positive outcomes can be achieved when the summerMAX program is administered at a lower intensity level.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by significant heterogeneity in functional levels that can reportedly affect stress. This study examined the diurnal patterns and cortisol levels of low-functioning children with ASD, high-functioning children with ASD, and typically-developing children between the ages of 7 and 12 years. Saliva was collected from each participant three times per day (AM, noon, and PM) during two consecutive weekends. Results indicated that all three groups demonstrated the typical diurnal pattern (highest cortisol at AM, followed by noon, and lowest at PM). Although results revealed no significant group x time interaction, significant main effects were found for time and group. These effects indicated that collectively, all three groups demonstrated mean differences in cortisol levels across the day. In addition, the low-functioning ASD group yielded significantly higher mean cortisol levels than the high-functioning ASD and typically-developing groups; the high-functioning ASD and typically-developing groups did not significantly differ.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) impacts well-being across the lifespan. Individuals with ASD evidence differences in personality traits and self-concept clarity that are predictors of well-being in typically-developing individuals. The current research replicates a growing body of evidence demonstrating differences in well-being and personality between individuals low in ASD characteristics (n = 207) and individuals high in ASD characteristics (n = 46) collected from the general population using an online survey. Results were consistent in a subsample of demographically matched pairs (n = 39 per group) and relative to norms. Further, the current research provides the first evidence that openness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and self-concept clarity mediate the relationship between ASD characteristics and well-being.

This study examined the reliability and criterion-related validity of parent ratings on the Adapted Skillstreaming Checklist (ASC) for a sample of 275 high-functioning children, ages 6-12 years, with ASD. Internal consistency for the total sample was 0.92. For two subsamples, test-retest reliability was very good at the 6-week and good at the 9-month intervals. Child age, IQ, and language abilities were unrelated to the ASC score. The ASC total score was inversely and strongly related to parent ratings of ASD symptom severity. Significant positive correlations (moderate-to-high) were found between the ASC and prosocial skills scales and significant negative correlations (low-to-moderate) with problem behavior scales on a broad measure of child functioning. Implications and suggestions for future study are discussed.

Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) spend a significant amount of their development in educational settings and education law mandates that they be provided an appropriate education. School staff are increasingly challenged to adequately evaluate and treat symptoms of ASD, as well as any number of secondary symptoms. Anxiety is one of the most common co-occurring difficulties of students with ASD. Anxiety-related problems are a significant concern in school settings as they can exacerbate core symptoms of ASD, disrupt learning, and interfere with other interventions. Although the large majority of studies involving anxiety and youth with ASD have been conducted in nonschool settings, many have yielded findings that are highly relevant and applicable to schools. This chapter examines anxiety and ASD in school settings, with an emphasis on research studies conducted in school settings or with school-derived samples, when available. Where school-based evidence is limited or nonexistent, data from the broader evidence-base are presented to inform the considerations and practices of educational teams. The chapter begins with an overview of how ASD is defined in clinical and educational settings, followed by a review of anxiety-related problems in youth with ASD in school settings. This is followed by a discussion of school-based assessment of anxiety in students with ASD and finally intervention development, implementation, and monitoring of anxiety symptoms using the Individualized Education Program (IEP).

This study was conducted to extend the research on the adaptive skills of high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II). Specifically, this study (a) examined the VABS-II adaptive profile, (b) compared adaptive functioning and cognitive ability, and (c) assessed predictors (age, IQ, ASD symptomatology) of adaptive skills of 71 children, ages 7 to 12 years, with HFASD. Results of normative comparisons indicated significant adaptive deficits on the Adaptive Behavior Composite and all three VABS-II domains (Communication, Daily Living Skills [DLS], and Socialization). Similarly, results revealed that the adaptive functioning of the sample fell significantly below their cognitive level. Regression analyses indicated that age was a significant inverse predictor of adaptive communication and socialization skills and IQ was a significant positive predictor of Communication and DLS. After accounting for age and IQ, ASD-social and ASD-communication symptoms did not predict adaptive behaviors; however ASD-restricted and repetitive symptoms was a significant inverse predictor of adaptive socialization skills.

This study evaluated the effect of a comprehensive psychosocial intervention on supplemental measures of facial emotion encoding for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) who were enrolled in prior randomized trials. A total of 60 children, ages 7 to 12 years were randomly assigned to treatment or wait-list control groups. Photographs of six posed facial expressions (happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised, and disgusted) taken at pretest and posttest were rated for encoding accuracy by naive raters. Ratings consisted of a) the extent to which the facial expression reflected each of the six possible emotions (extent rating) and b) a selection of the one emotion the raters identified as being portrayed (forced-choice). Results indicated significantly better encoding of sad at posttest for the treatment group on the extent (d = .58) and forced-choice (d = .56) ratings. Between-groups differences in encoding of the other emotions at posttest were non-significant. Implications for intervention and future research are presented.

This community effectiveness trial examined the feasibility and efficacy of a comprehensive psychosocial treatment for 28 children, aged 7 to 10 years with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs). Treatment included instruction and therapeutic activities targeting social skills, face-emotion recognition skills, interest expansion, and interpretation of non-literal language skills. A behavioral program was instituted to foster skills acquisition and reduce ASD symptoms and problem behaviors. Feasibility was supported in high levels of fidelity and satisfaction. Significant improvements were found for the children’s non-literal language skills and parent ratings of target social and communicative skills, broader social performance, and ASD symptoms. Secondary staff ratings corroborated parent ratings. Results suggest that the treatment, when administered by a community agency, was feasible and yielded positive outcomes similar to prior randomized clinical trials (RCTs).

Adaptive behavior rating scales are frequently used to gather information on the adaptive functioning of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs), yet little is known about the extent to which these measures yield comparable results. This study was conducted to (a) document the parent-rated VABS-II, BASC-2, and ABAS-II adaptive behavior profiles of 6- to 11-year-olds with HFASDs (including relative strengths and weaknesses); (b) examine the extent to which these measures yielded similar scores on comparable scales; and (c) assess potential discrepancies between cognitive ability and adaptive behavior across the measures. All three adaptive measures revealed significant deficits overall for the sample, with the VABS-II and ABAS-II indicating relative weaknesses in social skills and strengths in academic-related skills. Cross-measure comparisons indicated significant differences in the absolute magnitude of scores. In general, the VABS-II yielded significantly higher scores than the BASC-2 and ABAS-II. However, the VABS-II and ABAS-II yielded scores that did not significantly differ for adaptive social skills which is a critical area to assess for children with HFASDs. Results also indicated significant discrepancies between the children’s average IQ score and their scores on the adaptive domains and composites of the three adaptive measures.

Assessment of clinical symptoms requires information from multiple informants. Discrepancies between informants' ratings can have significant implications in school settings (e.g., access to services, treatment planning, progress monitoring). This study examined parent-teacher discrepancies for ratings of internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and adaptive skills of high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder. A total of 236 Behavior Assessment System for Children-2nd Edition ratings of children with high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder from 2 informant groups (parents and teachers) were analyzed. Each informant pair (n = 118 parents/caregivers and n = 118 teachers) rated the same child. Scores on the Internalizing Problems, Externalizing Problems, and Adaptive Skills Composites were examined for mean differences, level of agreement, linear relationship, and moderators of discrepancies. There were no significant mean differences between raters for the Internalizing and Externalizing Composites or their constituent scales (except Hyperactivity). Parent-teacher ratings on these composites and scales were significantly correlated (generally moderate), and the discrepancies were not moderated by the included child or parent variables. In contrast, teacher ratings were significantly higher than parents for the Adaptive Skills Composite and several of its constituent scales. Correlations between informants on the Adaptive Skills Composite were significant (low-to-moderate), with notable variability in the correlations among its constituent scales. The degree of parent-teacher discrepancy differed significantly across the Adaptive Skills Composite score range, but it was not moderated by the included child or parent variables. This study suggests a reduced likelihood of informant discrepancies for externalizing and internalizing symptoms, with larger discrepancies expected when assessing adaptive skills. (PsycINFO Database Record

This study examined the feasibility and initial outcomes of a comprehensive outpatient psychosocial treatment (MAXout) for children aged 7–12 years with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. The 18-week treatment, two 90-minute sessions per week, included instruction and therapeutic activities targeting social/social communication skills, facial emotion recognition, non-literal language skills, and interest expansion. A behavioral system was implemented to reduce autism spectrum disorder symptoms and problem behaviors and increase skills acquisition and maintenance. Feasibility was supported via high levels of treatment fidelity and parent, child, and staff satisfaction. Significant post-treatment improvements were found for the children’s non-literal language skills and facial emotion recognition skills, and parent and staff clinician ratings of targeted social/social communication skills, broad social skills, autism spectrum disorder symptoms, and problem behaviors. Results suggested that MAXout was feasible and may yield positive outcomes for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder.

The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition (GARS-2) is a widely used screening instrument that assists in the identification and diagnosis of autism. The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure, internal consistency, and screening sensitivity of the GARS-2 using ratings from special education teaching staff for a sample of 240 individuals with autism or other significant developmental disabilities. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a correlated three-factor solution similar to that found in 2005 by Lecavalier for the original GARS. Though the three factors appeared to be reasonably consistent with the intended constructs of the three GARS-2 subscales, the analysis indicated that more than a third of the GARS-2 items were assigned to the wrong subscale. Internal consistency estimates met or exceeded standards for screening and were generally higher than those in previous studies. Screening sensitivity was .65 and specificity was .81 for the Autism Index using a cut score of 85. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for instrument revision.