@article{ce4aa3d3efbb44bdb2cf725ff625780d,
title = "Demographic and clinical correlates of autism symptom domains and autism spectrum diagnosis",
abstract = "Demographic and clinical factors may influence assessment of autism symptoms. This study evaluated these correlates and also examined whether social communication and interaction and restricted/repetitive behavior provided unique prediction of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. We analyzed data from 7352 siblings included in the Interactive Autism Network registry. Social communication and interaction and restricted/repetitive behavior symptoms were obtained using caregiver-reports on the Social Responsiveness Scale. Demographic and clinical correlates were covariates in regression models predicting social communication and interaction and restricted/repetitive behavior symptoms. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses evaluated the incremental validity of social communication and interaction and restricted/repetitive behavior domains over and above global autism symptoms. Autism spectrum disorder diagnosis was the strongest correlate of caregiver-reported social communication and interaction and restricted/ repetitive behavior symptoms. The presence of comorbid diagnoses also increased symptom levels. Social communication and interaction and restricted/repetitive behavior symptoms provided significant, but modest, incremental validity in predicting diagnosis beyond global autism symptoms. These findings suggest that autism spectrum disorder diagnosis is by far the largest determinant of quantitatively measured autism symptoms. Externalizing (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and internalizing (anxiety) behavior, low cognitive ability, and demographic factors may confound caregiver-report of autism symptoms, potentially necessitating a continuous norming approach to the revision of symptom measures. Social communication and interaction and restricted/repetitive behavior symptoms may provide incremental validity in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.",
keywords = "autism spectrum disorder, autism symptoms, diagnosis, prediction",
author = "Frazier, {Thomas W.} and Youngstrom, {Eric A.} and Rebecca Embacher and Hardan, {Antonio Y.} and Constantino, {John N.} and Paul Law and Findling, {Robert L.} and Charis Eng",
note = "Funding Information: This work was made possible by the Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Clinic CTSA grant (grant number UL1 RR024989) provided by the National Center for Research Resources and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health. Funding Information: Dr Thomas W Frazier has received federal funding or research support from, acted as a consultant to, received travel support from, and/or received a speaker{\textquoteright}s honorarium from the Simons Foundation, Forest Laboratories, Ecoeos, IntegraGen, Shire Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, National Institutes of Health, and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. Dr Eric A Youngstrom has received travel support from Bristol-Myers Squibb and consulted with Lundbeck. Mrs Rebecca Embacher receives research support from IntegraGen. Dr Antonio Y Hardan has received research support from Forest and Bristol-Myers Squibb and is currently a consultant for IntegraGen. Dr Robert L Findling receives or has received research support from, acted as a consultant to, received royalties from, and/or served on a speaker{\textquoteright}s bureau for Abbott, Addrenex, Alexza, American Psychiatric Press, AstraZeneca, Biovail, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, Forest Laboratories, GlaxoSmithKline, Guilford Press, Johns Hopkins University Press, Johnson & Johnson, KemPharm Lilly, Lundbeck, Merck, National Institutes of Health, Neuropharm, Novartis, Noven, Organon, Otsuka, Pfizer, Physicians{\textquoteright} Post-Graduate Press, Rhodes Pharmaceuticals, Roche, SAGE, Sanofi-Aventis, Schering-Plough, Seaside Therapeutics, Sepracore, Shionogi, Shire, Solvay, Stanley Medical Research Institute, Sunovion, Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Validus, WebMD and Wyeth. Dr John N Constantino receives royalties from Western Psychological Services for the commercial distribution of one of the metrics used in this study, the Social Responsiveness Scale. Dr Charis Eng is a co-PI on a sponsored research contract from IntegraGen and is an unpaid member of the External Scientific Advisory Boards of Ecoeos and GenomOncology, and of the Genomic Medicine Advisory Board of Complete Genomics, Inc. Dr Paul Law has no conflicts of interest to disclose.",
year = "2014",
month = jul,
doi = "10.1177/1362361313481506",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "18",
pages = "571--582",
journal = "Autism",
issn = "1362-3613",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",
number = "5",
}