Screening for co-occurring conditions in adults with autism spectrum disorder using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire: A pilot study.

ABSTRACT: Adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at elevated risk of co-occurring mental health problems. These are often undiagnosed, can cause significant impairment, and place a very high burden on family and carers. Detecting co-occurring disorders is extremely important. However, there is no validated screening tool for this purpose. The aim of this pilot study is to test the utility of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) to screen for co-occurring emotional disorders and hyperactivity in adolescents and adults with ASD. The SDQ was completed by 126 parents and 98 individuals with ASD (in 79 cases both parent and self-report were available from the same families). Inter-rater reliability, test-retest stability, internal consistency, and construct validity

SUBMITTER: Findon J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5215637 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature