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Quantifying dimensions in autism: a factor-analytic study.

Peter Szatmari1, Chantal Mérette, Susan E Bryson

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|April 5, 2002
PubMed
Summary
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Autism and pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) present with distinct dimensions of autistic symptoms and varying levels of functioning, not a single construct. This finding has implications for autism research and clinical practice.

Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Child Psychology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs) exhibit significant phenotypic variation.
  • Previous research has not definitively established whether this variation represents a unitary construct or distinct dimensions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether autism/PDD phenotypic variation is a unitary construct.
  • To determine if autism/PDD is composed of distinct dimensions of autistic symptoms and functioning levels.

Main Methods:

  • 129 children with autism/PDD from two samples were assessed.
  • Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales and Autism Diagnostic Interview were utilized.
  • Factor analysis with varimax rotation was performed on the data.

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Main Results:

  • Two distinct factors emerged: autistic symptoms and level of functioning.
  • The factor structure remained consistent across different samples and inclusion criteria.
  • Gender differences were observed in the symptom factor, but not in functioning.
  • IQ correlated with functioning, not symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Phenotypic variation in autism/PDD comprises at least two dimensions: autistic symptoms and level of functioning.
  • This dimensional heterogeneity impacts research, classification, and clinical practice in autism.