Psychometric analysis of the repetitive behavior scale-revised using confirmatory factor analysis in children with autism.
Jessica L Hooker, Deanna Dow, Lindee Morgan and 2 others
PMID 31246379WHAT IT FOUND
The parent-report repetitive behavior scale seems to describe children's repetitive behaviors as five separate patterns, not one overall score.
Its scores were consistent, but links to observed repetitive behavior and thinking were small.
Key findings
01The RBS-R fit better as five separate repetitive behavior patterns than as one overall score.
02The five subscales showed consistent measurement, from .83 for stereotypic behavior to .95 for ritualistic/sameness behavior.
03The factors had small links to cognitive ability, and ritualistic/sameness behavior was not linked to observed repetitive behavior severity.
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 model may have been underpowered because many items and factors were examined, despite the sample size. The two subsamples used different cognitive tests, so verbal and nonverbal cognitive ability could not be compared. Females were underrepresented, so sex differences could not be examined.
Declared interests
The paper lists research support from NIH extramural and U.S. government non-PHS sources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use the RBS-R by itself to diagnose autism or to infer that a child's repetitive behaviors are more severe than observed. The study tested how parent-reported items group into factors, not diagnostic accuracy, and several links to observed repetitive behavior severity were small or absent.