Brief Report: The ADOS Calibrated Severity Score Best Measures Autism Diagnostic Symptom Severity in Pre-School Children.
Lisa D Wiggins, Brian Barger, Eric Moody and 3 others
PMID 28265795WHAT IT FOUND
In preschool children with autism, the ADOS calibrated severity score was less tied to expressive language abilities, adaptive behavior, and background factors than the ADOS total score or clinician ratings.
Key findings
01The ADOS calibrated severity score, ADOS total score, and clinician degree-of-impairment rating were positively correlated, and the correlations were statistically significant.
02Developmental and demographic characteristics accounted for 17% of the differences in ADOS calibrated severity scores, 41% of the differences in ADOS total scores, and 53% of the differences in clinician degree-of-impairment ratings.
03Higher severity ratings on all three measures were associated with more internalizing behavior problems and fewer adaptive behavior, expressive language, and fine motor abilities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The analysis included only children classified as ASD, so it does not show how these severity measures compare in children without ASD. Not all children classified as ASD were analysed; 92.5% had a clinician degree-of-impairment rating, 3.25% were excluded because symptoms were better accounted for by another disorder, and 4.25% had missing ratings. SEED site predicted severity scores despite quality control, so differences between locations may affect results. Higher maternal education predicted higher severity scores, so background factors may shape scores independently of autism symptoms. The clinician degree-of-impairment rating was strongly linked to adaptive behavior and expressive language, so it may not measure core autism symptoms alone. The study did not test treatment, so it does not show whether any severity score improves with therapy.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the ADOS CSS as proof that therapy changed core autism symptoms. This study compared existing severity scores in preschool children with ASD and did not test treatment.