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The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Toddler Module: Standardized Severity Scores

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Abstract

Standardized calibrated severity scores (CSS) have been created for Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd edition (ADOS-2) Modules 1–4 as a metric of the relative severity of autism-specific behaviors. Total and domain CSS were created for the Toddler Module to facilitate comparison to other modules. Analyses included 388 children with ASD age 12–30 months and were replicated on 435 repeated assessments from 127 children with ASD. Compared to raw scores, associations between total and domain CSS and participant characteristics were reduced in the original sample. Verbal IQ effects on Social Affect-CSS were not reduced in the replication sample. Toddler Module CSS increases comparability of ADOS-2 scores across modules and allows studies of symptom trajectories to extend to earlier ages.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a University of Minnesota Grant-in-Aid Award to A.E., Lohr Fellowship and Rackham Graduate School Fellowship to V.H.B., Dennis Weatherstone Predoctoral Fellowship to W.G.; in part by NICHD R01HD065272, NIDCD R01DC007462, and CDC U01DD000304 to A.W.; National Institutes of Health, NIDCD R01 DC007223 to S.E.W., and National Institute of Mental Health Grants R01MH081873 and RC1MH089721 to C.L. We gratefully acknowledge all of the families who participated in this research.

Conflict of interest

C. Lord and W. Guthrie receive royalties for the ADOS; profits from this study were donated to charity.

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Author notes

  1. Vanessa Hus Bal

    Present address: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, USA

    Amy N. Esler

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, 1550 4th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA

    Vanessa Hus Bal

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Vanessa Hus Bal

  4. Department of Clinical Psychology, Autism Institute, Florida State University, 1940 N. Monroe Street Suite 72, Tallahassee, FL, 32303, USA

    Whitney Guthrie

  5. Department of Psychology, Autism Institute, College of Medicine, Florida State University, 1940 N. Monroe Street Suite 72, Tallahassee, FL, 32303, USA

    Amy Wetherby

  6. Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA

    Susan Ellis Weismer

  7. Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, Weill Cornell Medical College, 21 Bloomingdale Rd., White Plains, NY, 10605, USA

    Catherine Lord

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  1. Amy N. Esler
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  2. Vanessa Hus Bal
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Correspondence to Amy N. Esler.

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Esler, A.N., Bal, V.H., Guthrie, W. et al. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Toddler Module: Standardized Severity Scores. J Autism Dev Disord 45, 2704–2720 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2432-7

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