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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior and interests (RRBIs). With the latest update to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a severity level rating is assigned to the two core features of ASD (American Psychiatric Association in Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 5 American Psychiatric Association Washington, D.C., 2013). Previous studies have identified factors associated with RRBI severity; however, the relationship among RRBIs, adaptive functioning, and diagnostic severity level remains unclear. The present study investigated whether adaptive functioning and parent-reported ASD symptoms predict RRBI severity in young children with ASD. Additionally, a fine-grained analysis was conducted to examine the factors associated with diagnostic severity level ratings. Several significant associations were found. Study findings and implications for assessment and treatment of RRBIs are discussed.

With the publication of DSM-5, many changes were introduced regarding how Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) would be diagnosed. Changes from DSM-IV-TR were controversial, with many arguing that individuals would lose their diagnosis with the new criteria. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the application of diagnostic criteria across both recent versions in a sample of infants and toddlers. Fewer individuals met criteria according to DSM-5; however, a larger proportion of individuals met criteria for both. Additionally, individuals with higher levels of symptoms were more likely to meet criteria for both versions as compared to either alone. Overall, results suggest that there are meaningful differences in how DSM criteria may apply to individuals with an ASD.

A growing body of research suggests that symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may present differently in males and females. This study examined gender differences in ASD symptoms and developmental functioning, using the "Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtism Traits, Part 1" (BISCUIT-Part 1) and the "Battelle Developmental Inventory, 2nd Edition" (BDI-2), amongst children aged 17-37 months meeting ASD diagnostic criteria (n = 1317). No gender differences were found in regards to overall symptom severity or symptom domains on the BISCUIT-Part 1 when gender groups were matched by cognitive ability. Females with ASD had greater motor deficits and less communication impairment compared to their male counterparts as measured by the BDI-2. Secondary analyses examining item endorsement patterns were also conducted. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Evidence-based treatment must begin with the systematic and comprehensive identification of an individual's complete clinical picture. Therefore, screening individuals with intellectual disability (ID) for comorbid disorders is imperative. Because of the frequent overlap between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ID, the current study explored the effects of co-occurring ASD on the comorbid symptoms exhibited by adults with ID. The study included 307 adults with severe or profound ID separated into two groups: ASD+ID and ID only. The ASD+ID group exhibited significantly more symptomology on eight of the 12 subscales examined including anxiety, mania, schizophrenia, stereotypies/tics, self-injurious behavior, eating disorders, sexual disorders, and impulse control. Further, comparisons of specific symptom endorsements yielded distinct results.

The single-case research design has become a paradoxical methodology in the applied sciences. While various experimental designs have been in place for over 50 years, there has not been wide acceptance of single-case methodology outside clinical and school psychology, or the field of special education. These methods were developed in the U.S.A., and their acceptance internationally has been even slower. The development and popularity of applied behavior analysis for persons with intellectual disabilities and the tremendously popular field of autism, and single-case designs have been very closely inter-related and have helped spread the use of single-case designs. The purpose of this paper is to review the history, types of designs, and their maturation in the applied fields of mental health and special education. (Contains 7 figures.)

Autism and the related pervasive developmental disorders are a heavily researched group of neurodevelopmental conditions. In addition to core symptoms, there are a number of other physical and motor conditions that co-occur at high rates. This paper provides a review of factors and behaviors that correlate highly with disorders on the autism spectrum. Among these conditions are premature birth, birth defects, gross and fine motor skills, and obesity. Each of these topics is addressed, and what researchers have found are presented. These data have important implications for the types of collateral behaviors that should be assessed and treated, along with the core symptoms of autism.

The development of standardized tests to assess autism, particularly in young children, is a topic of considerable interest in the research community. Recent years have seen an exponential growth in scales for differential diagnosis. Particular emphasis has been placed on defining and better delineating the symptoms of the disorder relative to other forms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID), and identifying the condition at the earliest possible age. The general consensus is that scaling methods are the core means of establishing a diagnosis. Thus, analyzing the research activity in the area for strengths and weaknesses in methodology would appear to be in order. A critical overview of existing psychometric properties of these tests is presented with suggestions for future research on the topic.

With the publication of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition", autism spectrum disorders are defined by two symptom clusters (social communication and restricted/repetitive behaviors) instead of the current three clusters. The current study examined the structure of the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with autism Traits (BISCUIT). First, an exploratory factor analysis was replicated whose results were largely comparable to the previous findings. Then, confirmatory factor analyses compared a two and three factor structure for the BISCUIT. Measures of model fit supported both the two and three factor models relatively well. When directly compared, the three factor model was found to be preferred over the two factor model. Implications are discussed.

The MESSIER, a measure of social and communication skills and the Vineland Social Maturity Scale were administered to 618 severe and profoundly mentally retarded adults. The goal of the study was to establish the potential utility of the MESSIER for classifying level of intellectual disability in this group. Comparing MESSIER scores to previously established DSM-IV-TR diagnosis, 86% of the severe and 80% of the profoundly mentally retarded persons were correctly classified. The implications of these data in using the MESSIER for classification and treatment planning are discussed.

The Autism Spectrum Disorder Observation for Children (ASD-OC) is a 45-item observation scale used to assess autistic symptomatology. The reliability of this measure has been established in previous research; therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate its validity among a sample of children (1-15 years). The large correlation between the ASD-OC and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) total scores was significant (r = 0.83), establishing convergent validity for the ASD-OC. To determine divergent validity, the correlation between the ASD-OC total score and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, Second Edition (VABS-II) Daily Living Skills domain score was analyzed. Although this negative correlation was significant (r =?-0.43), autistic symptom severity has previously been shown to adversely affect daily living skills. Finally, diagnostic groups (i.e., ASD, atypically developing, typically developing) were compared on ASD-OC total scores to establish criterion validity. The ASD group demonstrated significantly higher scores, indicating greater impairment than both the atypically and typically developing groups. ASD-OC scores were also examined by age group (i.e., < 36 months; = 36 months). The implications of these results, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.

The Matson Evaluation of Drug Side Effects (MEDS) is currently the best established and most researched measure of drug side effects in the intellectual disability (ID) literature. Initial research was conducted on its psychometric properties such as reliability and validity. More recent research studies have used the measure to determine the interactive effects of severity of drug side effects on adaptive and social behaviors as well as symptoms of commonly medicated psychiatric conditions among persons with ID. Most recently the MEDS has been used to study potential risk factors of psychotropic drugs. The present study was written to review the current status of MEDS research in the broader context of psychotropic drug side effect research in general.

A multiple mediation model was proposed to integrate core concepts of challenging behaviors with autistic traits to increase understanding of their relationship to quality of life (QoL). It was hypothesized that QoL is a possible mediator between the severity of challenging behaviors and autistic traits in adults with intellectual disability. These constructs are of vital importance because they are essential variables for people with autism, and obviously they influence their psychosocial development. Participants were 70 adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and moderate intellectual disabilities (ID). Results indicated that several dimensions of QoL mediated the relationships between autistic traits and challenging behaviors. The dimensions of QoL, Satisfaction, Competence/Productivity, and Autonomy/Independence are mediators between autistic traits and challenging behaviors. Implications of these data are discussed. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) often engage in problem behaviors, such as verbal or physical aggression, property destruction, or self-injury. These behaviors become a challenge for the families and for professionals. Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is a method used to identify variables that influence or maintain challenging behaviors (CB) and aid in the development of intervention plans. Two major concerns of FBA are that it is time-consuming and requires specialized professionals to interpret data from the natural or experimental environment. Therefore, indirect FBA methods can be used as an alternative. An instrument with excellent psychometric properties that aims to identify the function of behavior is the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF). This study presents the adaptation of the QABF in Spain. Data from 300 participants with ID and 328 behavioral problems were obtained. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify the components of the QABF, and the test-retest reliability was assessed to evaluate the stability of the QABF over time. (Contains 3 tables.)

The number of interventions used in the field of autism is astronomical. Unfortunately, while there are effective and well-researched methods, many of the techniques that parents use have no empirical support. These interventions are expensive, take up valuable time, and in some cases are dangerous. How bad is this problem, how did the field get here, and what are potential solutions? This review covers this important but infrequently discussed topic.

At this point there is sufficient research to demonstrate the efficacy of Early Intensive Behavior Interventions (EIBI) for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, also of great importance is the value of these early efforts over time. The purpose of this review was to assess existing EIBI papers with respect to follow-up and overall long term efficacy of intervention. Twenty-two treatment studies were reviewed which used the term follow-up. Of these, 19 included actual post-test data. Only 3 followed children after termination of treatment. Thus, a major problem with the current EIBI literature is that little can be said about the impact of these treatments long term. Details of these studies and their implications are discussed.

There is literature suggesting that some demographic characteristics actually can influence how parents or caregivers respond on informant-based measures for their children. The current study aimed to expand that research to include analysis of the relationship of maternal age and education level on mothers' ratings of their child's ASD by inspecting the total score on the "Autism Spectrum Disorders-Diagnostic for Children" ("ASD-DC"). We investigated biological mothers' ratings of 73 children (5-16 years of age), all of who had ASD diagnoses. Informants were classified into one of three age groups ([less than or equal to]34 years; 35-40 years; [greater than or equal to]41 years) and one of two education groups (high school graduate; university graduate). Following a two-way ANOVA, a significant interaction effect was found for informant age group and education level on total scores of the "ASD-DC". Within the [greater than or equal to]41 age group, ratings of ASD increased (indicating greater impairment) as the informants' education level increased. A reverse trend was established in the other two age groups. Further findings and implications are discussed. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

The purpose of this paper was to update the psychometrics of the "Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Youngsters" ("MESSY") with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), specifically with respect to internal consistency, split-half reliability, and inter-rater reliability. In Study 1, 114 children with ASD (Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder--Not Otherwise Specified) were assessed using the "MESSY". Participants ranged in age from 2 to 16 years. Study 1 found excellent internal consistency, and split half reliability. Using "MESSY" scores from two caregivers of 33 children, Study 2 found that the "MESSY" demonstrated moderate to high inter-rater reliability. As such, this study established the internal and inter-rater reliability of the "MESSY" for use among children with ASD. (Contains 1 table.)

While some researchers have investigated daily living skills deficits in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) as a whole, research on specific daily living skills in a profound ID population is limited. Two hundred and four adults with profound ID residing in two large developmental centers in the southeast portion of the United States were studied. Data were collected on these individuals' daily living skills, utilizing the "Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales" (VABS). Three dependent t-tests were conducted comparing the proportion of items endorsed by informants on each of the three subdomains of daily living skills on the VABS (personal, domestic, and community). A significantly larger proportion of Personal Subdomain items were endorsed compared to Domestic or Community Subdomain items. Additionally, participants exhibited a significantly larger proportion of Domestic Skills Subdomain items compared to Community Skills Subdomain items which is consistent with theoretical models suggesting that institutional living may curb broader community skill sets. No gender differences were found in daily living skills. Lastly, individuals between the ages 30 and 39 exhibited significantly more Personal Subdomain skills than individuals who were 60 or older, while participants between the ages 30 and 39 exhibited significantly more Domestic Subdomain skills than individuals between the ages 60 and 69. (Contains 3 tables.)

Little research has been conducted on whether deficits in developmental functioning affect the range of core symptoms for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study represents a first attempt to determine whether developmental level has an effect on the expression of ASD symptoms in infants and toddlers. Eight hundred and fifty-three infants were evaluated with respect to the nature and extent of their ASD symptoms and developmental functioning. Young children with autism displayed a higher number of symptoms than those with PDD-NOS on all three domains of impairment (social, communication, repetitive behaviors). As expected, children without an ASD evinced far fewer symptoms than both these groups. Developmental level was not found to be a moderator for expression of ASD symptoms for the entire sample, or individual diagnostic groups. Higher developmental level was associated with lower severity of evinced ASD symptoms in the sample. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)

Individuals diagnosed with an intellectual disability (ID) share overlapping traits with those diagnosed with both ID and an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if caregivers' reports of symptoms of ASD are of value (i.e., when comparing them to clinical diagnoses of ASD) and to determine which symptoms of ASD best differentiate those with ASD from those with ID only. It was hypothesized that a subset of items would emerge using the Autism Spectrum Disorders-Diagnostic for Adults (ASD-DA) which would differentiate the two groups utilize in this study. One hundred eighty-six adults diagnosed with ID with and without diagnosis of ASD were assessed for core symptoms and other behavioral differences using the ASD-DA. Most of the individuals in the ID group (n=93) and the ID plus ASD group (n=93) were in the profound range of ID. The items which were most likely to distinguish individuals with ASD were in socialization domain. Furthermore, adults with ASD were more likely to be male and to be non-verbal. (Contains 2 tables.)

The "autism spectrum disorder observation for children" ("ASD-OC") is a newly created 54-item observation measure for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Due to the fact that many of the ASD observation measures currently available do not have established psychometric properties and require extensive time and training to administer, the "ASD-OC" seeks to address these issues. The purpose of this initial study was to investigate the reliability of the "ASD-OC". The measure was administered to a sample of 114 children as part of an outpatient evaluation. In a subset of the sample, 26 children were rated by two independent clinicians after the same session. Interrater reliability was calculated using intraclass coefficients (ICC). Five items were removed after this interrater reliability analysis given poor reliability coefficients less than 0.40. Mean interrater reliability for each of the 49 retained items was good (i.e., 0.73). Interrater reliability for the scale as a whole was excellent (i.e., ICC = 0.96). Item analysis and internal consistency were investigated in the total sample (n = 114). Four items were removed from the scale because of little to no variance in scores. Forty-five items remained on the scale. The internal consistency of the "ASD-OC" as measured by Cronbach's alpha was excellent at 0.96. The "ASD-OC" proved to be a promising measure with robust reliability. (Contains 2 tables.)

One-hundred nine children 3-16 years of age diagnosed with Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, or Asperger's Syndrome were studied. Children resided in six states in the United States. Using moderation analysis via multiple regression, verbal communication and challenging behaviors and how they interact with social skills were examined. Children and adolescents exhibiting fewer challenging behaviors and presenting with better verbal communication skills had the greatest strengths in social skills. Furthermore, challenging behaviors adversely affected social skills more than verbal communication skills. Thus, regardless of verbal communication level, children with low levels of challenging behaviors exhibited greater social skills. Clinical implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

Given the importance of early intervention services for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), early diagnosis of children is critical. At present, several ASD screeners exist for young children, with the "Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers" ("M-CHAT") being one of the most widely researched. While the "M-CHAT" has good sensitivity and specificity, the presence of false positives and false negatives is inevitable. While false positives are not as disconcerting, since follow-up assessment will reveal the absence of ASD, false negatives can inadvertently delay much needed services to toddlers. The current study examined parental report for 552 toddlers who were referred for early intervention services due to being part of an at-risk population. The groups were divided into four groups based on their "M-CHAT" scores and actual diagnoses--a true positive group (n = 150), false positive group (n = 150), true negative group (n = 151), and false negative group (n = 101). All four groups were compared with respect to their total "M-CHAT" score and total critical items score on the "M-CHAT". While the true positive and false positive groups significantly differed from the true negative and false negative groups on both of these dimensions, significant differences were also found between the true and false positive groups but not between the true and false negative groups. Furthermore, all 23 "M-CHAT" items were more commonly endorsed by individuals in the true positive group when compared to the false positive group, while differences in item endorsements between the true and false negative groups were scant. Based on these results, the true and false positive groups tended to be more easily discriminated from one another while the true and false negative groups presented themselves similarly. The implications of these findings are discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)

Rates of challenging behaviors were assessed in 175 adults with intellectual disability (ID) or ID and a comorbid autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The relationship between ASD diagnosis, race, and challenging behaviors was assessed using the "Autism Spectrum Disorders-Behavior Problems for Adults (ASD-BPA)." Those with ASD and ID were found to exhibit significantly more challenging behaviors than those with ID alone. No significant main effect of race was found. However, a significant interaction between ASD diagnosis and race was found: In those with ASD, Caucasian participants exhibited more challenging behaviors than African Americans, whereas the opposite held true in those without ASD. Specific subscales of the ASD-BPA were also examined, with a significant interaction found on the Stereotypy subscale. Results and their implications are discussed. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Although it is still unclear what causes autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), over time researchers and clinicians have become more precise with detecting and diagnosing ASD. Many diagnoses, however, are based on the criteria established within the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" ("DSM"); thus, any change in these diagnostic criteria can have a great effect upon children with ASD and their families. It is predicted that the prevalence of ASD diagnoses will dramatically decrease with the adoption of the proposed "DSM-5" criteria in 2013. The aim of this current study was to inspect the changes in prevalence first using a diagnostic criteria set which was modified slightly from the "DSM-5" criteria (Modified-1 criteria) and again using a set of criteria which was relaxed even a bit more (Modified-2 criteria). Modified-1 resulted in 33.77 % fewer toddlers being diagnosed with ASD compared to the "DSM-IV," while Modified-2 resulted in only a 17.98 % decrease in ASD diagnoses. Children diagnosed with the "DSM-5" criteria exhibited the greatest levels of autism symptomatology, but the Mod-1, Mod-2, and "DSM-IV" groups still demonstrated significant impairments. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Background: The Behavior Problems Inventory-01 (BPI-01) is an informant-based behaviour rating instrument that was designed to assess maladaptive behaviours in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). Its items fall into one of three sub-scales: "Self-injurious Behavior" (14 items), "Stereotyped Behavior" (24 items), and "Aggressive/Destructive Behavior" (11 items). Each item is rated on a frequency scale (0 = never to 4 = hourly), and a severity scale (0 = no problem to 3 = severe problem). The BPI-01 has been successfully used in several studies and has shown acceptable to very good psychometric properties. One concern raised by some investigators was the large number of items on the BPI-01, which has reduced its user friendliness for certain applications. Furthermore, researchers and clinicians were often uncertain how to interpret their BPI-01 data without norms or a frame of reference. Methods: The Behavior Problems Inventory-Short Form (BPI-S) was empirically developed, based on an aggregated archival data set of BPI-01 data from individuals with ID from nine locations in the USA, Wales, England, the Netherlands, and Romania (n = 1122). The BPI-S uses the same rating system and the same three sub-scales as the BPI-01, but has fewer items: "Self-injurious Behavior" (8 items), "Stereotyped Behavior" (12 items), and "Aggressive/Destructive Behavior" (10 items). Rating anchors for the severity scales of the "Self-injurious Behavior" and the "Aggressive/Destructive Behavior" sub-scales were added in an effort to enhance the objectivity of the ratings. Results: The sensitivity of the BPI-S compared with the BPI-01 was high (0.92 to 0.99), and so were the correlations between the analogous BPI-01 and the BPI-S sub-scales (0.96 to 0.99). Means and standard deviations were generated for both BPI versions in a Sex-by-age matrix, and in a Sex-by-ID Level matrix. Combined sex ranges are also provided by age and level of ID. Conclusion: In summary, the BPI-S is a very useful alternative to the BPI-01, especially for research and evaluation purposes involving groups of individuals.

Background: The Behavior Problems Inventory-01 (BPI-01) is an informant-based behaviour rating instrument for intellectual disabilities (ID) with 49 items and three sub-scales: "Self-injurious Behavior," "Stereotyped Behavior" and "Aggressive/Destructive Behavior." The Behavior Problems Inventory-Short Form (BPI-S) is a BPI-01 spin-off with 30 items. Methods: The psychometric properties of these two versions of the scale were computed using aggregated archival data from nine different sites in the USA, Wales, England, the Netherlands and Romania with a total of 1122 cases with a BPI-01 total score greater than 0. Results: The internal consistency of the BPI-01 and the BPI-S ranged from fair to excellent with the BPI-01 showing slightly stronger reliability. Construct validity (confirmatory and discriminant) was computed by comparing BPI sub-scale scores with the scores of four other behaviour rating scales (the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II, the Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form and the Inventory for Client and Agency Planning). Strong evidence for confirmatory and discriminant validity was found for both the BPI-01 and the BPI-S. Confirmatory fit indices for the BPI and the BPI-S were comparable and suggesting that the factor structures fit the data well. Conclusion: In summary, both BPI versions were found to be equally sound psychometrically and can be endorsed for future use. However, independent future studies are needed to replicate the psychometrics of the BPI-S with new data.

The use of applied behavior analysis (ABA) to treat persons with autism goes back several decades. Many specific target behaviors and intervention strategies have been developed. In the last two decades the most heavily studied of these methods has been Early Intensive Behavioral Interventions (EIBI). This package of ABA methods is unique in two ways. First, a broad range of target behaviors are trained for 20-40 h per week. This training is much more treatment per week than what is described in most ABA studies. Second, the children treated are typically 2-3 years of age, which is younger than for most ABA research. Reviews of EIBI have typically focused on the efficacy of the methods. These are important, but at present we argue that these methods are effective. This paper is different in that it looks at current trends such as generalization, parent training, factors that mitigate against effective treatment and the need for follow-up and booster treatment.

Little research has been conducted to date on the relationship between psychotropic medication use and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Participants in the current study were placed into one of four groups: ASD on psychotropic medications (N = 33), ASD off psychotropic medications (N = 45), atypically developing on psychotropic medications (N = 30) and atypically developing off psychotropic medications (N = 45). Severity of autistic symptoms were compared between the groups based on total scores on the "Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits, Part 1(BISCUIT Part-1)". Toddlers with ASD on psychotropic medications had significantly higher ratings than any other group. No such relationship was found within the atypically developing group. The results suggest a relationship between psychotropic medication use and severity of autistic symptoms in infants and toddlers. Implications of these results are discussed. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

The benefits of early intervention for very young children with autism are now well established. Hand and hand with these interventions is the necessity of psychometrically sound diagnostic tools. Not only should these tools be instrumental in differentiating developmentally delayed and other at risk infants. These measures should also be structured to address challenging behaviors and psychopathology. The latter problems co-occur at high rates in infants who evince autism. Being able to identify these behaviors and symptoms, and to monitor the effectiveness of interventions to remediate these problems, is a high priority. The "Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits" ("BISCUIT"), is designed to address all of the issues listed. At this writing, the "BISCUIT" has the best psychometrics of any of the early childhood evaluation scales. Over 80 studies have been published to date using the "BISCUIT." The purpose of this paper was to review the current status and future research trends using this test battery.

Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders are universally accepted; however, the reported severity of symptoms may be sensitive to cultural differences. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine the differences in reported symptoms of appropriate and inappropriate social skills between children and adolescents from South Korea (SK) and the United States (US). Scores on the three subscales of the "Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters, Second Edition (MESSY-II)" were compared between 147 participants from either SK (n = 49) or the US (n = 98). Children and adolescents from the two countries scored statistically different from each other on the Hostile, Adaptive/Appropriate, and Inappropriately Assertive subscales. However, the mean scores for participants from the two countries fell into the same impairment level on the "MESSY-II," indicating no clinically significant differences. The implications of these results are discussed. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

Previous research has found that individuals with intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and those with greater symptom severity within these diagnoses, show higher rates of aggressive/destructive behavior, stereotypic behavior, and self-injurious behavior. In this exploratory cross-sectional study, toddlers at-risk for a developmental disorder (n = 1509) ranging from 17 to 36 months fell into one of three diagnostic categories: Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified [PDD-NOS], and atypically developing--no ASD diagnosis. Mental health professionals from EarlySteps, Louisiana's Early Intervention System, interviewed parents and guardians using the "Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits" (BISCUIT)--Part 3" (Matson, Boisjoli, & Wilkins, 2007) to obtain measures of challenging behaviors and the "Battelle Developmental Inventory, 2nd Edition" ("BDI-2") (Newborg, 2005) to obtain developmental quotients (DQ). Toddlers diagnosed with Autistic Disorder or PDD-NOS showed a positive relationship between total DQ and challenging behavior; whereas, atypically developing toddlers with no ASD diagnosis showed a more adaptive, negative relationship. The DQ domains that were most influential on challenging behaviors varied by diagnosis, with communication and motor domains playing greater roles for toddlers with Autistic Disorder or PDD-NOS, and personal-social and cognitive domains playing greater roles for atypically developing toddlers with no ASD diagnosis. (Contains 3 figures and 3 tables.)

Self-injurious behavior is commonly observed among persons with intellectual disabilities. However, a second parallel use of this term is used in the general mental health field for self-mutilation. The authors describe these two disorders and how they differ. Characteristics of what we refer to as repetitive self-injurious behavior among persons with intellectual disabilities and risk factors for these behaviors are discussed. We also describe different assessment/testing methods which aid in defining this phenomenon. The implications of these data for research and clinical practice are discussed.