Fractionation of the Autism Triad of Behavioral Symptoms

2010

The diagnostic criteria for autism require impairments in three core behavioral areas: social interaction, communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior. Autism has traditionally been conceptualized as a unitary disorder, with all three of these symptom clusters arising from shared etiologies. Recent studies have suggested that this triad of behaviors might be better explained as fractionable, although work so far has examined this question primarily in the context of typical development. The present study explored the independence of the autism triad of symptoms using a clinical database of children and adolescents with confirmed autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) seen at the Children?s National Medical Center, Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Age- and IQ-matched groups of patients with ASDs who scored below (N=29) and above (N=58) the cutoff score for the Repetitive Behaviors and Restricted Interests domain of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI) were compared on social and communication symptom scores from the ADI and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-General tests. We hypothesized that social and communication scores would be unrelated to repetitive behavior severity, supporting a fractionated model of ASD behavior.

Conference presentations and posters presented

Professionals, Students

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