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The Empathy Quotient and Systemising Quotient for Toddlers: Development and Validation
Yumnah T Khan1, Alex Tsompanidis2, Luning Sun3
1Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 8AH, UK. yk415@cam.ac.uk.
New questionnaires for toddlers measure empathy and systemizing, key traits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Findings show these tools reliably assess traits and identify differences in autistic toddlers, aiding early identification and understanding of developmental pathways.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Autism spectrum disorder research
Background:
- Empathy and systemizing are core traits with documented differences between autistic and non-autistic individuals.
- Existing measures for these traits are not suitable for toddlers, limiting early-life research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate toddler versions of the Empathy Quotient (EQ-T) and Systemising Quotient (SQ-T).
- To assess the reliability and predictive validity of these measures for autistic traits in toddlers.
Main Methods:
- Validated toddler (T) versions of the Empathy Quotient (EQ-T) and Systemising Quotient (SQ-T) in 1,005 toddlers (aged 1.5-4 years).
- Parents completed online questionnaires, including the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT).
Main Results:
- The EQ-T and SQ-T demonstrated good reliability.
- EQ-T scores negatively predicted autistic traits, while SQ-T scores positively predicted them.
- Females scored higher on EQ-T, with no significant sex differences in SQ-T.
Conclusions:
- The validated EQ-T and SQ-T provide reliable tools for assessing empathy and systemizing in toddlers.
- These measures facilitate research into early autism profiles and developmental trajectories.
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