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Convergent and Discriminant Validity and Reliability of the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Abstract

The psychometric properties of the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS), a clinician-administered measure for assessing severity of anxiety symptoms, were examined in 72 children and adolescents diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The internal consistency of the PARS was 0.59, suggesting that the items were related but not repetitive. The PARS showed high 26-day test–retest (ICC = 0.83) and inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.86). The PARS was strongly correlated with clinician-ratings of overall anxiety severity and parent-report anxiety measures, supporting convergent validity. Results for divergent validity were mixed. Although the PARS was not associated with the sum of the Social and Communication items on the Autism Diagnostic Observation System, it was moderately correlated with parent-reported inattention, aggression and externalizing behavior. Overall, these results suggest that the psychometric properties of the PARS are adequate for assessing anxiety symptoms in youth with ASD, although additional clarification of divergent validity is needed.

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Acknowledgments

The contributions of Lindsay Brauer, Sarah Gunderson, Jessica Morgan, Joshua Nadeau, and Elysse Arnold are acknowledged. This paper was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to the first, second, and third authors (5R34HD065274-02), and grants to the first author from the All Children’s Hospital Research Foundation and the University of South Florida Office of Research and Innovation Established Researcher Grant Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Pediatrics, University of South Florida, 880 6th Street South Box 7523, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    Eric A. Storch, Anna M. Jones, Jennifer M. Park, Adam B. Lewin & Tanya K. Murphy

  2. Department of Educational Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jeffrey J. Wood

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    Jill Ehrenreich-May

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  1. Eric A. Storch
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  2. Jeffrey J. Wood
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  3. Jill Ehrenreich-May
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Correspondence to Eric A. Storch.

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Storch, E.A., Wood, J.J., Ehrenreich-May, J. et al. Convergent and Discriminant Validity and Reliability of the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 42, 2374–2382 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1489-9

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