The Developmental Behaviour Checklist (DBC) Profile in Young Children on the Autism Spectrum: The Impact of Child and Family Factors.

High levels of emotional/behavioural difficulties are frequently reported in children on the autism spectrum. However, given the diversity in profiles, there is a need to explore such behaviours in relation to individual factors. Parents of 130 children aged 4-5 on the autism spectrum completed measures of behaviour and adaptive behaviour. Hierarchical multiple regressions explored child and family characteristics in relation to children's emotional/behavioural presentation. Different aspects of the behavioural profile were associated with different factors, with child autism characteristics, medication use, and parent mental health making significant unique contributions to a range of behavioural subscales. Understanding individual profiles beyond total scores is therefore needed to truly understand the emotional and behavioural profile of specific subgroups.