Design and Cohort Characteristics of the Social Spectrum Study: A Multicenter Study of the Autism Spectrum Among Clinically Referred Children.
Jorieke Duvekot, Leontine W Ten Hoopen, Geerte Slappendel and 4 others
PMID 27699684WHAT IT FOUND
In clinically referred children, 33% screened positive for ASD symptoms, and only 16% of DSM-IV PDD-NOS cases met DSM-5 ASD criteria.
Key findings
01Among 1,281 children with completed parent screening reports, 428 (33%) screened positive for ASD symptoms and 853 (67%) screened negative.
02188 cases (28%) had full diagnostic assessments as well as questionnaire data about child characteristics.
03Of children with a DSM-IV PDD-NOS diagnosis, only 16% (5 out of 32) met criteria for a DSM-5 ASD diagnosis.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This paper describes the study design, cohort characteristics, and attrition; it does not test whether any treatment works. Only 188 cases (28%) had full diagnostic assessments plus child questionnaire data, so the detailed cohort is much smaller than the screened group. Participation was selective: children referred to tertiary services were more likely to complete diagnostic assessments, children with higher internalizing problems were more likely to have caregiver questionnaire data, and follow-up was less likely for caregivers without a partner and non-Dutch children. The sample came from children referred to mental health services, so it does not represent children who are not referred. Some diagnostic assessments were taken from clinical records, so the best-estimate diagnosis procedure was not identical for all participants.
Declared interests
The supplied text states that the study was funded by the Sophia Foundation for Scientic Research. It gives no other author conflict of interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that any intervention helps children with ASD. This paper reports a cohort design, attrition, and diagnostic characteristics, not treatment outcomes.