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Cognitive and Adaptive Skills in Toddlers Who Meet Criteria for Autism in DSM-IV but not DSM-5

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Abstract

The current study compared adaptive and cognitive skills, and autism severity of toddlers with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis under DSM-IV but not DSM-5 criteria (DSM-IV only group) to those who met autism criteria under both diagnostic systems (DSM-5 group) and to those without ASD (non-ASD group). The toddlers in the DSM-IV only group were less delayed on various domains of adaptive (Communication, Socialization) and cognitive (Expressive and Receptive language, Fine Motor, Visual Reception) skills, and had less severe symptoms of ASD than the DSM-5 group. Thus, they might have the best potential for successful intervention. The DSM-IV only group did not differ from the non-ASD group in any adaptive or cognitive skills except for socialization skills, the hallmark of ASD.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Grant No. R01HD039961). We would like to thank all the families who participated in our study, and the physicians, clinicians, medical staff, and graduate and undergraduate students who contributed to the study.

Author Contributions

Author DTJ was part of study design development, data collection, data analysis, and writing. Author LAB was part of study design development, data collection, and writing. Author MLB was part of study design development and data collection. Author DF was part of study design development, data collection, and data analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA

    Dasal Tenzin Jashar, Laura A. Brennan, Marianne L. Barton & Deborah Fein

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  1. Dasal Tenzin Jashar
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  2. Laura A. Brennan
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  3. Marianne L. Barton
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  4. Deborah Fein
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Correspondence to Dasal Tenzin Jashar.

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Conflict of Interest

Authors DF and MLB are part owners of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers. This is provided free of charge to physicians. Royalties are charged when it is incorporated into a commercial system. Research into the MCHAT is currently supported by NICHD (Robins, PI). Authors DTJ and LAB declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from individual participants included in the study.

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Jashar, D.T., Brennan, L.A., Barton, M.L. et al. Cognitive and Adaptive Skills in Toddlers Who Meet Criteria for Autism in DSM-IV but not DSM-5. J Autism Dev Disord 46, 3667–3677 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2901-7

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