BASC-2 PRS profiles for students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders.

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents a range of behavioral and social challenges.
• High-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) requires specific diagnostic and assessment tools.
• Understanding behavioral profiles is crucial for targeted interventions in HFASD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2) Parent Rating Scale (PRS) profiles between children with HFASD and typically developing children.
• To identify specific BASC-2 PRS scales that differentiate between HFASD and typically developing groups.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Developmental Social Disorders scale in distinguishing HFASD.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of BASC-2 PRS scores.
• Matched-group design comparing 62 children with HFASD to 62 typically developing children.
• Statistical analysis of differences across multiple BASC-2 scales.

Main Results:

• Significant differences were observed in most BASC-2 PRS scores between HFASD and typically developing groups.
• HFASD group mean scores indicated clinically significant ranges on Behavioral Symptoms Index, Atypicality, Withdrawal, and Developmental Social Disorders scales.
• The Developmental Social Disorders scale demonstrated high effectiveness in differentiating the two groups.

Conclusions:

• Children with HFASD exhibit distinct behavioral patterns compared to their typically developing peers.
• The BASC-2 PRS, particularly the Developmental Social Disorders scale, is a valuable tool for identifying behavioral differences in HFASD.
• These findings support the use of specific behavioral assessments for diagnosing and supporting individuals with HFASD.