Sheri T Stronach1, Amy M Wetherby2. 1. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis. 2. Florida State University, Tallahassee.
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study investigated whether measures of early social communication vary among young children of diverse racial/ethnic status with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHOD: Participants were 364 toddlers between ages 18 and 36 months with a diagnosis of ASD confirmed (n = 195) or ruled out (n = 169), from 3 racial/ethnic categories: non-Hispanic White (n = 226), non-Hispanic Black (n = 74), and Hispanic (n = 64). Group differences in social communication were examined using an observational measure-the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Behavior Sample (CSBS-BS; Wetherby & Prizant, 2002)-and a parent-report measure, the Early Screening for Autism and Communication Disorders (Wetherby, Woods, & Lord, 2007). RESULTS: Controlling for maternal education, children with ASD scored significantly lower on the CSBS-BS than children without, indicating poorer social communication skills, and higher on the Early Screening for Autism and Communication Disorders, indicating more ASD features. Racial/ethnic groups did not differ on 6 CSBS-BS clusters, but Non-Hispanic White toddlers scored significantly higher than both other groups on the Understanding cluster. There were no significant Diagnosis × Race/Ethnicity interactions. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate good agreement between observed and parent-report measures in this sample. Results suggest that the CSBS-BS and Early Screening for Autism and Communication Disorders could be viable tools in the detection process for toddlers with ASD in these racial/ethnic groups.
PURPOSE: This study investigated whether measures of early social communication vary among young children of diverse racial/ethnic status with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHOD: Participants were 364 toddlers between ages 18 and 36 months with a diagnosis of ASD confirmed (n = 195) or ruled out (n = 169), from 3 racial/ethnic categories: non-Hispanic White (n = 226), non-Hispanic Black (n = 74), and Hispanic (n = 64). Group differences in social communication were examined using an observational measure-the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Behavior Sample (CSBS-BS; Wetherby & Prizant, 2002)-and a parent-report measure, the Early Screening for Autism and Communication Disorders (Wetherby, Woods, & Lord, 2007). RESULTS: Controlling for maternal education, children with ASD scored significantly lower on the CSBS-BS than children without, indicating poorer social communication skills, and higher on the Early Screening for Autism and Communication Disorders, indicating more ASD features. Racial/ethnic groups did not differ on 6 CSBS-BS clusters, but Non-Hispanic White toddlers scored significantly higher than both other groups on the Understanding cluster. There were no significant Diagnosis × Race/Ethnicity interactions. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate good agreement between observed and parent-report measures in this sample. Results suggest that the CSBS-BS and Early Screening for Autism and Communication Disorders could be viable tools in the detection process for toddlers with ASD in these racial/ethnic groups.
Authors: Michael L Cuccaro; Jason Brinkley; Ruth K Abramson; Alicia Hall; Harry H Wright; John P Hussman; John R Gilbert; Margaret A Pericak-Vance Journal: Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet Date: 2007-12-05 Impact factor: 3.568
Authors: Neelam Kharod Sell; Ellen Giarelli; Nathan Blum; Alexandra L Hanlon; Susan E Levy Journal: Disabil Health J Date: 2011-10-29 Impact factor: 2.554
Authors: Jason J Wolff; Kelly N Botteron; Stephen R Dager; Jed T Elison; Annette M Estes; Hongbin Gu; Heather C Hazlett; Juhi Pandey; Sarah J Paterson; Robert T Schultz; Lonnie Zwaigenbaum; Joseph Piven Journal: J Child Psychol Psychiatry Date: 2014-02-19 Impact factor: 8.982
Authors: Luther G Kalb; Vini Singh; Ji Su Hong; Calliope Holingue; Natasha N Ludwig; Danika Pfeiffer; Rachel Reetzke; Alden L Gross; Rebecca Landa Journal: JAMA Netw Open Date: 2022-04-01
Authors: Sarabeth Broder Fingert; Alice Carter; Karen Pierce; Wendy L Stone; Amy Wetherby; Chris Scheldrick; Christopher Smith; Elizabeth Bacon; Stephen N James; Lisa Ibañez; Emily Feinberg Journal: Autism Date: 2018-04-10