Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2000 Aug;30(4):269-78.
doi: 10.1023/a:1005571115268.

Toward a developmental operational definition of autism

J E Gillham  1 , A S Carter, F R Volkmar, S S Sparrow
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Toward a developmental operational definition of autism

J E Gillham et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2000 Aug.

Abstract

Traditional approaches to diagnosing autism emphasize delays in communication and socialization. Traditional diagnostic schemes typically list symptoms (e.g., lack of eye contact), but provide little guidance on how to incorporate information about developmental level in making a diagnosis. Because standardized measures of adaptive behavior can provide information about children's communication, socialization, and other behavior relative to their age, they may be useful tools for diagnosing autism. This study investigated the ability of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales to identify children with autism. Vineland scores and measures of intellectual functioning were obtained for children with autism, PDDNOS, and other developmental disorders (DD). Discriminant function analyses indicated that the autism and combined nonautism (PDDNOS and DD) groups could be differentiated on the basis of socialization, daily living skills, and serious maladaptive behaviors. Socialization alone accounted for 48% of the variance in diagnosis. Using regression analyses derived from a large normative sample, adaptive behavior scores were predicted from chronological age (CA) and mental age (MA). Socialization scores in the autism group were substantially below the level predicted from CA or MA. An index derived from the ratio of actual to predicted socialization scores correctly classified 86% of both autism and nonautism cases. Findings suggest that comparison of obtained Vineland socialization scores to those predicted by CA or MA may be useful in clarifying the diagnosis of autism.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1980 Jul;21(3):221-9 - PubMed
    1. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 1995 Jun;16(3 Suppl):S7-11 - PubMed
    1. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1987 Sep;26(5):700-3 - PubMed
    1. J Autism Dev Disord. 1981 Jun;11(2):191-9 - PubMed
    1. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1989 Jul;28(4):542-8 - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources