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Identifying High Ability Children with DSM-5 Autism Spectrum or Social Communication Disorder: Performance on Autism Diagnostic Instruments

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Abstract

This study was a replication of Mazefsky et al.’s (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities 43:1236–1242, 2013) investigation among a sample of 45 high ability children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD under DSM-IV-TR. Items from the ADOS and ADI-R were mapped onto DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for ASD and SCD to determine whether participants would meet either diagnosis under DSM-5. If the ADOS were administered alone, 62% of individuals diagnosed with ASD would no longer meet criteria under DSM-5; however, when the ADI-R and ADOS scores were combined, 100% of individuals would continue to meet ASD diagnosis. The ADOS was determined to be an insufficient measure for SCD due to the small number of algorithm items measuring SCD diagnostic criteria, suggesting the development of SCD measures is required.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education Jacob K. Javits Program obtained by the Iowa Department of Education and the Belin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development. The authors gratefully acknowledge the students and parents who participated in the research through the Assessment and Counseling Clinic of The University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, MFN, SLF and KGW; Methodology, MFN, SLF, and KGW; Formal Analysis, MFN, SLF, and KGW; Resources, SGA; Writing - Original Draft, MFN, SLF, and KGW; Writing - Reviewing and Editing, MFN; Visualization, SLF and KGW, Supervision, MFN; Funding Acquisition, SGA.

Funding

This study was funded by the U.S. Department of Education Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Education Act.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Iowa, N361 Lindquist Center, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Megan Foley-Nicpon, Staci L. Fosenburg, Kristin G. Wurster & Susan G. Assouline

  2. The University of Iowa, 600 Blank Honors Center, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Megan Foley-Nicpon & Susan G. Assouline

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  1. Megan Foley-Nicpon
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  2. Staci L. Fosenburg
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  3. Kristin G. Wurster
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  4. Susan G. Assouline
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Correspondence to Megan Foley-Nicpon.

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There are no known conflicts of interest to report.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of Iowa’s research committee (IRB) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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

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Foley-Nicpon, M., L. Fosenburg, S., G. Wurster, K. et al. Identifying High Ability Children with DSM-5 Autism Spectrum or Social Communication Disorder: Performance on Autism Diagnostic Instruments. J Autism Dev Disord 47, 460–471 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2973-4

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