Preliminary evidence of two new autism scales: A proposal for screening symptoms in the adult population and in females
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v13i7.46465Keywords:
Autism Spectrum Disorder; Clinical diagnosis; Differential diagnosis; Women.Abstract
There has been an increase in the cases of older individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), making it possible to consider the tools used for this diagnostic. The aim of this study is to present the first stages of the process of developing two new tools to help with this diagnostic process. A literature review was conducted to find measures built to assess ASD symptoms in adults and also in women. After that, specialists from neuropsychology and psychology evaluated the quality of the clarity and relevance of all items. Based on statistical analysis and comments, the items were revised, and two versions were created. Future developments of tools that help the diagnostic process must consider these gender differences, incorporating items that capture the more subtle and specific manifestations of ASD in women.
References
Alves, A. L. C., Paula, J. J. de, Miranda, D. M. de, & Romano-Silva, M. A. (2022). The Autism Spectrum Quotient in a sample of Brazilian adults: analyses of normative data and performance. Dementia & Neuropsychologia, 16(2), 244–248. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-5764-dn-2021-0081
Anunciação, L., Cito, L., Pessoa, L., Squires, J., Murphy, K., & Landeira-Fernandez, J. (2023). Lack of voluntary interest and difficulty making eye contact are the most discriminative behaviors of the ASQ:SE and might suggest delays: Results from a large-scale assessment. Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/21622965.2022.2156795
Aronoff, E., Hillyer, R., & Leon, M. (2016). Environmental Enrichment Therapy for Autism: Outcomes with Increased Access. Neural Plasticity, 2016, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/2734915
Baldwin, S., Costley, D., & Warren, A. (2014). Employment Activities and Experiences of Adults with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger’s Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(10), 2440–2449. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2112-z
Bargiela, S., Steward, R., & Mandy, W. (2016). The Experiences of Late-diagnosed Women with Autism Spectrum Conditions: An Investigation of the Female Autism Phenotype. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(10), 3281–3294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2872-8
Bowers, M. E., Reider, L. B., Morales, S., Buzzell, G. A., Miller, N., Troller-Renfree, S. V., Pine, D. S., Henderson, H. A., & Fox, N. A. (2020). Differences in Parent and Child Report on the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): Implications for Investigations of Social Anxiety in Adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 48(4), 561–571. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-019-00609-3
Brown, C. M., Attwood, T., Garnett, M., & Stokes, M. A. (2020). Am I Autistic? Utility of the Girls Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Condition as an Autism Assessment in Adult Women. Autism in Adulthood, 2(3), 216–226. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.0054
Brugha, T. S., McManus, S., Bankart, J., Scott, F., Purdon, S., Smith, J., Bebbington, P., Jenkins, R., & Meltzer, H. (2011). Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adults in the Community in England. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(5), 459. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.38
Eriksson, A. (2004). Aspie-Quiz. Https://Rdos.Net/Eng/Aspie-Quiz.Php.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Flick, U. (2009). An introduction to qualitative research (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Gould, J., & Ashton-Smith, J. (2011). Missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis? Girls and women on the autism spectrum. Good Autism Practice, 12(1), 34–41.
Gulsrud, A., Lin, C. E., Park, M. N., Hellemann, G., & McCracken, J. (2018). Self‐injurious behaviours in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 62(12), 1030–1042. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12490
Hernández-Nieto, R. (2002). Contributions to Statistical Analysis. Los Andes University Press.
Howlin, P. (2021). Adults with Autism: Changes in Understanding Since DSM-111. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(12), 4291–4308. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04847-z
Howlin, P., & Moss, P. (2012). Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 57(5), 275–283. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371205700502
Hull, L., Mandy, W., Lai, M.-C., Baron-Cohen, S., Allison, C., Smith, P., & Petrides, K. V. (2019). Development and Validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(3), 819–833. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3792-6
Hull, L., Petrides, K. V., Allison, C., Smith, P., Baron-Cohen, S., Lai, M.-C., & Mandy, W. (2017). “Putting on My Best Normal”: Social Camouflaging in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(8), 2519–2534. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3166-5
Isaksson, J., Van’t Westeinde, A., Cauvet, É., Kuja-Halkola, R., Lundin, K., Neufeld, J., Willfors, C., & Bölte, S. (2019). Social Cognition in Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Co-twin Control Study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(7), 2838–2848. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04001-4
Lai, M.-C., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2015). Identifying the lost generation of adults with autism spectrum conditions. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2(11), 1013–1027. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(15)00277-1
Lai, M.-C., Lombardo, M. V., Auyeung, B., Chakrabarti, B., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2015). Sex/Gender Differences and Autism: Setting the Scene for Future Research. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 54(1), 11–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2014.10.003
Lai, M.-C., Lombardo, M. V, & Baron-Cohen, S. (2014). Autism. The Lancet, 383(9920), 896–910. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61539-1
Lai, M.-C., Lombardo, M. V., Pasco, G., Ruigrok, A. N. V., Wheelwright, S. J., Sadek, S. A., Chakrabarti, B., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2011). A Behavioral Comparison of Male and Female Adults with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Conditions. PLoS ONE, 6(6), e20835. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0020835
Lever, A. G., & Geurts, H. M. (2016). Psychiatric Co-occurring Symptoms and Disorders in Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(6), 1916–1930. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2722-8
Lord, C., Elsabbagh, M., Baird, G., & Veenstra-Vanderweele, J. (2018). Autism spectrum disorder. The Lancet, 392(10146), 508–520. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31129-2
Lord, C., & Rutter, M. (2012). Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition.
Mehling, M. H., & Tassé, M. J. (2015). Impact of Choice on Social Outcomes of Adults with ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(6), 1588–1602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2312-6
National Autistic Society. (2024). Autistic women and girls. Https://Www.Autism.Org.Uk/Advice-and-Guidance/What-Is-Autism/Autistic-Women-and-Girls.
Okoye, C., Obialo-Ibeawuchi, C. M., Obajeun, O. A., Sarwar, S., Tawfik, C., Waleed, M. S., Wasim, A. U., Mohamoud, I., Afolayan, A. Y., & Mbaezue, R. N. (2023). Early Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review and Analysis of the Risks and Benefits. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.43226
Poon, K. K., & Sidhu, D. J. K. (2017). Adults with autism spectrum disorders. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 30(2), 77–84. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000306
Prata, L. D. L., Camargos Junior, W., Teodoro, M. L. M., & Rocha, F. L. (2019). Qualidades psicométricas da versão brasileira da Escala Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ-Br). Contextos Clínicos, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.4013/ctc.2019.121.08
Ritvo, R. A., Ritvo, E. R., Guthrie, D., Ritvo, M. J., Hufnagel, D. H., McMahon, W., Tonge, B., Mataix-Cols, D., Jassi, A., Attwood, T., & Eloff, J. (2011). The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R): A Scale to Assist the Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults: An International Validation Study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(8), 1076–1089. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-1133-5
Rutherford, M., McKenzie, K., Johnson, T., Catchpole, C., O’Hare, A., McClure, I., Forsyth, K., McCartney, D., & Murray, A. (2016). Gender ratio in a clinical population sample, age of diagnosis and duration of assessment in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 20(5), 628–634. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315617879
Rutter, M., Le Couteur, A., & Lord, C. (2003). Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). Western Psychological Services.
Schalock, R., & Tassé, M. (2021). Intellectual disability: Definition, diagnosis, classification, and systems of supports (12th Edition). American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Silva, C. C. e, & Elias, L. C. dos S. (2020). Instrumentos de Avaliação no Transtorno do Espectro Autista: Uma Revisão Sistemática. Revista Avaliação Psicológica, 19(02). https://doi.org/10.15689/ap.2020.1902.09
Sizoo, B. B., Horwitz, E., Teunisse, J., Kan, C., Vissers, C., Forceville, E., Van Voorst, A., & Geurts, H. (2015). Predictive validity of self-report questionnaires in the assessment of autism spectrum disorders in adults. Autism, 19(7), 842–849. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315589869
Swain, D., Scarpa, A., White, S., & Laugeson, E. (2015). Emotion Dysregulation and Anxiety in Adults with ASD: Does Social Motivation Play a Role? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(12), 3971–3977. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2567-6
Wing, L., & Gould, J. (1979). Severe impairments of social interaction and associated abnormalities in children: Epidemiology and classification. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9(1), 11–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01531288
World Health Organization (WHO). (2023, November 15). Autism . Https://Www.Who.Int/News-Room/Fact-Sheets/Detail/Autism-Spectrum-Disorders?Gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw8diwBhAbEiwA7i_sJU1WilTFPakN3PDreATUd5CCfvBKIw0SWdZdGf5ySIyYfWBm4_cCjRoCEYsQAvD_BwE%20-%20WHO.
Zeidan, J., Fombonne, E., Scorah, J., Ibrahim, A., Durkin, M. S., Saxena, S., Yusuf, A., Shih, A., & Elsabbagh, M. (2022). Global prevalence of autism: A systematic review update. Autism Research, 15(5), 778–790. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2696
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Sílvia Barbosa Benevides; Emanuelle Cordova de Souza; Artur Gil Bezerra Soares; Lucas Fortaleza de Aquino Ferreira; Louise Marques; Everson Rangel Lopes; Luis Anunciação
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
