Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Early-Emerging Social Adaptive Skills in Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Item Analysis

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Individuals with ASD have significant impairments in adaptive skills, particularly adaptive socialization skills. The present study examined the extent to which 20 items from the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales—Socialization Domain differentiated between ASD and developmentally delayed (DD) groups. Participants included 108 toddlers with ASD or DD under the age of 3 years. Nine of the 20 items significantly distinguished the groups. The ASD group demonstrated significantly weaker socialization skills, including deficits in basic social behaviors. The results support the notion that (a) socialization deficits in ASD impact foundational social skills typically emerging in the first year of life, (b) examination of specific social adaptive behaviors contribute to differential diagnosis, and (c) foundational social behaviors should be targeted for intervention.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bolte, S., Poustka, F., & Constantino, J. N. (2008). Assessing autistic traits: Cross-cultural validation of the social responsiveness scale (SRS). Autism Research, 1(6), 354–363.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carpentieri, S., & Morgan, S. B. (1996). Adaptive and intellectual functioning in autistic and nonautistic retarded children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 611–620.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carter, A. S., Volkmar, F. R., Sparrow, S. S., Wang, J., Lord, C., Dawson, G., et al. (1998). The Vineland adaptive behavior scales: Supplementary norms for individuals with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 28, 287–302.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Charman, T., Swettenham, J., Baron Cohen, S., Cox, A., Baird, G., & Drew, A. (1998). An experimental investigation of social-cognitive abilities in infants with ASD: Clinical implications. Infant Mental Health Journal, 19, 260–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chawarska, K., Klin, A., Paul, R., Macari, S., & Volkmar, F. (2009). A prospective study of toddlers with ASD: Short-term diagnostic and cognitive outcomes. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50(10), 1235–1245.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chawarska, K., Klin, A., Paul, R., & Volkmar, F. (2007). ASD spectrum disorder in the second year: Stability and change in syndrome expression. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48, 128–138.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cox, A., Klein, K., Charman, T., Baird, G., Baron-Cohen, S., Swettenham, J., et al. (1999). Autism spectrum disorders at 20 and 42 months of age: Stability of clinical and ADI-R diagnosis. Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 40, 719–732.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, G., Rogers, S., Munson, J., Smith, M., Winter, J., Greenson, J., et al. (2010). Randomized, controlled trial of an intervention for toddlers with autism: The early start denver model. Pediatrics, 125(1), e17–e23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Farley, M. A., McMahon, W. M., Fombonne, E., Jenson, W. R., Miller, J., Gardner, M., et al. (2009). Twenty-year outcome for individuals with autism and average or near-average cognitive abilities. Autism Research, 2(2), 109–118.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fenton, G., D’Ardia, C., Valente, D., Vecchio, I. D. V., Fabrizi, A., & Bernabei, P. (2003). Vineland adaptive behavior profiles in children with autism and moderate to severe developmental delay. Autism, 7(3), 269–287.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, B. J., Rahbar, B., Ritvo, E. R., Bice, T. L., Yokota, A., & Ritvo, R. (1991). The stability of cognitive and behavioral parameters in ASD: A twelve-year prospective study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30, 479–482.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, B. J., Ritvo, E. R., Yokota, A., Childs, J., & Pollard, J. (1988). WISC-R and Vineland adaptive behavior scale scores in autistic children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 27, 428–429.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gillberg, C. (1990). ASD and pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 31(1), 99–119.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, W., Carr, K., & Klin, A. (2008). Absence of preferential looking to the eyes of approaching adults predicts level of social disability in 2-year-olds with autism. Archives of General Psychiatry, 65(8), 946–954.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, W., & Klin, A. (2009). Heterogeneity and homogeneity across the autism spectrum: The role of development. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 48(5), 471–473.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanne, S. M., Gerber, A. J., Quirmbach, L. M., Sparrow, S. S., Cicchetti, D. V., & Saulnier, C. A. (2010). The role of adaptive behavior in autism spectrum disorders: Implications for functional outcome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Online 02 November.

  • Kleinman, J. M., Robins, D. L., Ventola, P. E., Pandey, J., Boorstein, H. C., Esser, E. E., et al. (2008). The modified checklist for autism in toddlers: A follow-up study investigating the early detection of autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorder, 38, 827–839.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klin, A. (1991). Young autistic children’s listening preferences in regard to speech: A possible characterization of the symptom of social withdrawal. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 21(1), 29–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klin, A. (1992). Listening preferences in regard to speech in four children with developmental disabilities. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 33(4), 763–769.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klin, A., Volkmar, F. R., & Sparrow, Sara. S. (1992). Autistic social dysfunction: Some limitations of the theory of mind hypothesis. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 33, 861–876.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klin, A., Jones, W., Schultz, R. T., & Volkmar, F. R. (2003). The enactive mind–from actions to cognition: Lessons from autism. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences, 358, 345–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klin, A., Danovitch, J. H., Dohrmann, E. H., Merz, A. B., & Volkmar, F. R. (2007a). Circumscribed interests in higher-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders: An exploratory study. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 32(2), 89–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klin, A., Saulnier, C. A., Sparrow, S. S., Cicchetti, D. V., Volkmar, F. R., & Lord, C. (2007b). Social and communication abilities and disabilities in higher functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders: The Vineland and the ADOS. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(4), 748–759.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klin, A., Chawarska, K., & Volkmar, F. R. (2008a). Opportunities for research: Concepts and future directions. In K. Chawarska, A. Klin, & F. R. Volkmar (Eds.), Autism spectrum disorders in infants and toddlers: Diagnosis, assessment and treatment (pp. 327–336). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klin, A., Saulnier, C., Chawarska, K., & Volkmar, F. R. (2008b). Case studies of infants first evaluated in the second year of life. In K. Chawarska, A. Klin, & F. Volkmar (Eds.), Autism spectrum disorders in infants and toddlers: Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment (pp. 141–169). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klin, A., Lin, D. J., Gorrindo, P., Ramsay, G., & Jones, W. (2009). Two-year-olds with autism fail to orient towards human biological motion but attend instead to non-social, physical contingencies. Nature, 459, 257–261.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C. (1995). Follow-up for two-year-olds referred for possible ASD. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 36, 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., Risi, S., Lambrecht, L., Cook, E. H., Leventhal, B. L., DiLavore, P. C., et al. (2000). The autism diagnostic observation schedule-generic: A standard measure of social and communication deficits associated with the spectrum of autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30(3), 205–223.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., Rutter, M., & Le Couteur, A. (1994). Autism diagnostic interview–revised: A revised version of a diagnostic interview for caregivers of individuals with possible pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24(5), 659–685.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., & Schopler, E. (1989). Stability of assessment results of autistic and non-autistic language-impaired children from preschool years to early school age. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 30, 575–590.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., Storoschuk, S., Rutter, M., & Pickles, A. (1993). Using the ADI-R to diagnose ASD in preschool children. Infant Mental Health Journal, 13(3), 234–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loveland, K. A., & Kelley, M. L. (1991). Development of adaptive behavior in preschoolers with autism or down syndrome. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 96, 13–20.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loveland, K. A., Landry, S. H., Hughes, S. O., Hall, S. K., & McEvoy, R. E. (1988). Speech acts and the pragmatic deficits in ASD. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 31(4), 593–604.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mullen, E. (1995). Mullen scales of early learning. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry, A., Flanagan, H. E., Geier, J. D., & Freeman, N. L. (2009). Brief report: The Vineland adaptive behavior scales in young children with autism spectrum disorders at different cognitive levels. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(7), 1066–1078.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S. (2009). What are infant siblings teaching us about autism in infancy? Autism Research, 2, 125–137.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Saulnier, C. A., & Klin, A. (2007). Brief report: Social and communication abilities and disabilities in higher functioning individuals with autism and Asperger syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(4), 788–793.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sparrow, S. S., Balla, D., & Cicchetti, D. (1984). Vineland adaptive behavior scales. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sparrow, S. S., & Cicchetti, D. (1985). Diagnostic uses of the Vineland adaptive behavior scales. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 10, 215–225.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sparrow, S. S., Cicchetti, D., & Balla, D. A. (2005). Vineland adaptive behavior scales—2nd edition manual. Minneapolis, MN: NCS Pearson, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone, W. L., Lee, E. B., Ashford, L., Brissie, J., Hepburn, S. L., Coonrod, E. E., et al. (1999a). Can ASD be diagnosed accurately in children under 3 years? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40(2), 219–226.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stone, W. L., Ousley, O. Y., Hepburn, S. L., Hogan, K. L., & Brown, C. S. (1999b). Patterns of adaptive behavior in very young children with ASD. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 104(2), 187–199.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swettenham, J., Baron-Cohen, S., Charman, T., Cox, A., Baird, G., Drew, G., et al. (1998). The frequency and distribution of spontaneous attention shifts between social and nonsocial stimuli in autistic, typically developing, and nonautistic developmentally delayed infants. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 39, 747–753.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Szatmari, P., Bryson, S. E., Boyle, M. H., Streiner, D. L., & Duku, E. (2003). Predictors of outcome among high functioning children with autism and Asperger syndrome. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 44(4), 520–528.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • VanMeter, L., Fein, D., Morris, R., Waterhouse, L., & Allen, D. (1997). Delay versus deviance in autistic social behavior. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 27, 557–569.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ventola, P. E., Kleinman, J., Pandey, J., Barton, M., Allen, S., Green, J., et al. (2006). Agreement among four diagnostic instruments for ASD spectrum disorders in toddlers. Journal of ASD and Developmental Disorders, 36, 839–847.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ventola, P., Kleinman, J., Pandey, J., Wilson, L., Esser, E., & Boorstein, H. et al. (2007). Differentiating between ASD spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities in children who failed a screening instrument for ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 425–436.

    Google Scholar 

  • Volkmar, F. R., Carter, A. S., Sparrow, S. S., & Cicchetti, D. (1993). Quantifying social development in autism. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 32, 627–632.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Volkmar, F. R., Sparrow, S. S., Goudreau, D., Cicchetti, D. V., et al. (1987). Social deficits in autism: An operational approach using the Vineland adaptive behavior scales. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 26(2), 156–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, S. K., Scahill, L., Vitiello, B., Aman, M. G., Arnold, E., McDougle, C. J., et al. (2006). Risperidone and adaptive behavior in children with autism. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 45(4), 431–439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zwaigenbaum, L., Bryson, S., Lord, C., Rogers, S., Carter, A., Carver, L., et al. (2009). Clinical assessment and anagement of toddlers with suspected autism spectrum disorder: Insights from studies of high-risk infants. Pediatrics, 123(5), 1383–1391.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zwaigenbaum, L., Bryson, S., Rogers, T., Roberts, W., Brian, J., & Szatmari, P. (2005). Behavioral manifestations of ASD in the first year of life. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 23, 143–152.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Mental Health (U54-MH66494). We wish to thank the families of the children included in this study for their time and participation. We also wish to thank our colleagues Karyn Bailey, Diane Goudreau, and Rhea Paul for their contributions to the clinical characterization of the samples and for ongoing clinical and conceptual discussions. This study is dedicated to our teacher, colleague and friend, Dr. Sara Sparrow, whose gracefulness, love and generosity will be sorely missed. Together with her beloved husband, Dr. Dom Cicchetti, the Vineland was their labor of love.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Ami Klin

    Present address: Marcus Autism Center, Emory University School of Medicine and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, PO Box 207900, New Haven, CT, 06520-7900, USA

    Pamela Ventola, Celine A. Saulnier, Elizabeth Steinberg, Katarzyna Chawarska & Ami Klin

Authors
  1. Pamela Ventola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Celine A. Saulnier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elizabeth Steinberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Katarzyna Chawarska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ami Klin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pamela Ventola.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ventola, P., Saulnier, C.A., Steinberg, E. et al. Early-Emerging Social Adaptive Skills in Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Item Analysis. J Autism Dev Disord 44, 283–293 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1278-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1278-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation