Brief Report: What Diagnostic Observation Can Teach Us About Disruptive Behavior in Young Children with Autism.
Lauren H Hampton, Megan Y Roberts, Erica Anderson and 6 others
PMID 32881771WHAT IT FOUND
An adapted observation tool elicited significantly more disruptive behavior in young autistic children than standard autism diagnostic testing.
Most children showed high disruptive behavior scores during this specific observation, even when standard tests reported none.
Key findings
01Children exhibited significantly more problems in behavioral regulation during the adapted Disruptive Behavior Diagnostic Observation Schedule (DB-DOS) contexts than during the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).
02Two thirds of the children had high scores on at least one DB-DOS domain, yet none had serious tantrums or aggressive behaviors on the ADOS-2 index.
03Children who showed no problem behaviors on the ADOS received moderate to high behavior regulation problem scores during the DB-DOS contexts.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (12 children), so the findings are preliminary. The study did not validate coding of parent strategies during the parent-administered context. The tool is not designed to measure sensory seeking or aversions, though these often interact with disruptive behavior in autism. The participants represented a specific range of cognitive and language abilities; children with significant cognitive delays might need further modifications. Parents in the study were enthusiastic about the assessment, which may not reflect the experience of all families.
Declared interests
The text does not state any conflicts of interest or funding sources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the ADOS is an invalid tool for autism diagnosis. The study shows it is not designed to capture the full range of disruptive behaviors, not that it fails at its primary purpose of assessing autism symptoms.