Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify specific social behaviors that differentiate autistic preschoolers from other children at comparable developmental levels. A parent report measure, the Preschool Social Behavior Checklist (PSBC), was developed for this purpose. The PSBC consists of 22 items representing social milestones usually achieved within the first 4 to 5 years of life. Results obtained from a sample of 20 parents of children with autism and 14 parents of children with mental retardation revealed group differences in specific aspects of imaginative play, peer play, and imitation skills. The importance of examining the specific manifestations of social deficits and implications for the diagnosis of autism are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association. (1980).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
American Psychiatric Association. (1987).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed., rev.). Washington, DC: Author.
Bluma, S., Shearer, M., Frohman, A., & Hilliard, J. (1976).Portage guide to early education. Portage, WI: Cooperative Educational Service Agency 12.
DeMyer, M. K., Alpern, G. D., Barton, S., DeMyer, W. E., Churchill, D. W., Hingtgen, J. N., Bryson, C. Q., Pontius, W., & Kimberlin, C. (1972). Imitation in autistic, early schizophrenic and non-psychotic subnormal children.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 2, 264–287.
Fein, D., Pennington, B., Markowitz, P., Braverman, M., & Waterhouse, L. (1986). Toward a neuropsychological model of infantile autism: Are the social deficits primary?Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 25, 198–212.
Hobson, R. P. (1989). Beyond cognition: A theory of autism. In G. Dawson (Ed.),Autism: Nature, diagnosis, and treatment (pp. 22–48). New York: Guilford.
Kanner, L. (1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact.Nervous Child, 2, 217–250.
Marcus, L., & Baker, A. (1986). Assessment of autistic children. In R. J. Simeonsson (Ed.),Psychological and developmental assessment of special children (pp. 279–304). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Morgan, S. (1988). Diagnostic assessment of autism: A review of objective scales.Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 6, 139–151.
Mundy, P., & Sigman, M. (1989). Specifying the nature of the social impairment in autism. In G. Dawson (Ed.),Autism: Nature, diagnosis, and treatment (pp. 3–21). New York: Guilford.
Mundy, P., Sigman, M., Ungerer, J., & Sherman, T. (1986). Defining the social deficits of autism: The contribution of non-verbal communication measures.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 27, 657–669.
Nunnally, J. C. (1978).Psychometric theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Ohta, M., Nagai, Y., Hara, H., & Sasaki, M. (1987). Parental perception of behavioral symptoms in Japanese autistic children.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 17, 549–563.
Parks, S. L. (1983). The assessment of autistic children: A selective review of available instruments.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 13, 255–267.
Rimland, B. (1971). The differentiation of childhood psychoses: An analysis of checklists for 2,218 psychotic children.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1, 161–174.
Rutter, M. (1978). Diagnosis and definition of childhood autism.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 8, 139–161.
Schopler, E., Reichler, R. J., & Renner, B. R. (1988).The Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.
Schreibman, L., & Charlop, M. H. (1987). Autism. In V. B. Van Hasselt & M. Herson (Eds.),Psychological evaluation of the developmentally and physically disabled (pp. 155–177). New York: Plenum Press.
Sherman, M., Shapiro, T., & Glassman, M. (1983). Play and language in developmentally disordered preschoolers: A new approach to classification.Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 22, 511–524.
Sigman, M., Mundy, P., Sherman, T., & Ungerer, J. (1986). Social interactions of autistic, mentally retarded, and normal children and their caregivers.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 27, 647–656.
Sigman, M., & Ungerer, J. A. (1984). Cognitive and language skills in autistic, mentally retarded, and normal children.Developmental Psychology, 20, 293–302.
Sparrow, S. S., Balla, D. A., & Cicchetti, D. V. (1984).Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.
Stone, W. L., Lemanek, K. L., Fishel, P. T., Fernandez, M. C., & Altemeier, W. A. (1990). Play and imitation skills in the diagnosis of young autistic children.Pediatrics, 86, 267–272.
Stutsman, R. (1948).Guide for administering the Merrill-Palmer Scale of Mental Tests. Chicago: Stoelting.
Tilton, J. R., & Ottinger, D. R. (1964). Comparison of the toy play behavior of autistic, retarded, and normal children.Psychological Reports, 15, 967–975.
Ungerer, J. A. (1989). The early development of autistic children: Implications for defining primary deficits. In G. Dawson (Ed.),Autism: Nature, diagnosis, and treatment (pp. 75–91). New York: Guilford.
Volkmar, F. R., & Cohen, D. J. (1988). Classification and diagnosis of childhood autism. In E. Schopler & G. B. Mesibov (Eds.),Diagnosis and assessment in autism (pp. 71–89). New York: Plenum Press.
Volkmar, F. R., Cohen, D. J., & Paul, R. (1986). An evaluation of DSM-III criteria for infantile autism.Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 25, 190–197.
Wetherby, A. M., Yonclas, D. G., & Bryan, A. A. (1989). Communicative profiles of preshool children with handicaps: Implications for early identification.Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 54, 148–158.
Wing, L. (1969). The handicaps of autistic children — A comparative study.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 10, 1–40.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stone, W.L., Lemanek, K.L. Parental report of social behaviors in autistic preschoolers. J Autism Dev Disord 20, 513–522 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02216056
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02216056