Contrasting Views of Autism Spectrum Traits in Adults, Especially in Self-Reports vs. Informant-Reports for Women High in Autism Spectrum Traits.
Sara C Taylor, Brielle N Gehringer, Holly C Dow and 8 others
PMID 36484966WHAT IT FOUND
Self-reports and informant reports of autism traits and executive function in adults high in autism spectrum traits showed no agreement.
Female probands reported more traits than their informants did. Both sources are needed because they carry different information.
Key findings
01For adults high in autism spectrum traits, self-report and informant-report scores on the SRS-2A and BRIEF-A showed no significant correlation and poor inter-rater reliability, indicating they measure different things.
02Female probands had significantly more negative discrepancy scores than male probands on the SRS-2A, meaning they reported higher levels of autism-related behaviors for themselves than their informants reported for them.
03In contrast to the probands, family members showed moderate significant associations between self- and informant-report scores on both the SRS-2A and the BRIEF-A.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The probands were not diagnosed with ASD via gold-standard in-person assessments like ADOS due to remote recruitment during the pandemic; they are described as 'high in autism spectrum traits'. The sample lacked diversity in race, education, and gender identity, with too few transgender and non-binary individuals to analyze gender effects robustly. Informants varied widely in their relationship to the participant (e.g., parents, spouses, therapists), which may introduce variability in how well they know the person's internal states. Some informants were also participants in the study, creating potential overlap between the reporting and reported groups.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence. No other conflicts of interest were reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of correlation between self- and informant reports as a measurement error. The study suggests these reports capture different aspects of the phenotype, particularly regarding camouflaging or internal states that informants may not observe.