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Profiling Autism Symptomatology: An Exploration of the Q-ASC Parental Report Scale in Capturing Sex Differences in Autism

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Abstract

The Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Conditions (Q-ASC) was developed by Attwood et al. (2011) to identify gender-sensitive profiles of autism symptomatology; prioritise and adjust the direction of clinical interventions; and support positive psychosocial outcomes and prognosis into adulthood. The current research piloted the Q-ASC with parents of 238 children with a clinical diagnosis of ASD-Level 1 (without intellectual or language impairment). Data analysis revealed eight interpretable and reliable components of the Q-ASC using Principle components analysis. Comparisons across age and gender groups found statistically significant mean differences of parent-reported characteristics. The findings from this study aim to identify improvements in the Q-ASC towards the future assessment of the sensitivity and diversity of presentations of autism among female children and adolescents.

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Notes

  1. The term ‘high functioning’ refers to an individual with autism who is verbally fluent, with average or above average intelligence.

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SMS, MG, TA, and CB designed the study. MG, TA and AR designed the original measure. MG and TA collected the data. SMS and CB analysed the data, and initially drafted the manuscript. All authors revised, developed, read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Charlotte Brownlow.

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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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Simcoe, S., Brownlow, C., Garnett, M.S. et al. Profiling Autism Symptomatology: An Exploration of the Q-ASC Parental Report Scale in Capturing Sex Differences in Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 48, 389–403 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3324-9

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