Abstract
Background: The aim of our study was to compare adaptive skills, emotional/behavioral problems, and parental stress among children with different severity levels of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms.Methods: This study included a sample of 88 subjects with ASD (mean age = 6.00 ± 2.70). All subjects underwent standardized neuropsychological tests for the assessment of symptoms of the autism spectrum (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition), adaptive level (The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Survey Interview, 2nd edition), behavioral and emotional problems (Child Behavior CheckList CBCL), and parental stress (Parental Stress Index Short Form-PSI-SF). Non-parametric statistical methods (Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U-test for post hoc analysis) and linear regression analysis were used in this study.Results: Children who had higher severity levels of ASD symptoms had less adaptive functioning; younger children showed more severe symptoms of ASD; older children had better communication skills. The presence of greater adaptive difficulties was related to a greater presence of internalizing problems. An increase in parental stress levels was related to an higher severity of ASD symptoms, fewer adaptive skills, and a greater presence of internalizing and externalizing problems.Conclusion: This study suggests that the adaptive behavior should be considered in order to planning a habilitation intervention in children with autism. It is also important to monitor emotional/behavioral problems and parental stress levels in order to provide parenting support and improve the family quality of life.
Highlights
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction/communication and the presence of restricted or repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013)
The three group based on severity level of ASD symptoms did not significantly differ in all the main socio-demographic characteristics (Table 1)
The analysis conducted to compare VABS, Parental Stress Index (PSI), and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) mean scores among ASD levels showed a significant difference in the three following scales of VABS questionnaire: Communication, Daily Living Skills, Socialization and Adaptive Behavior Composite
Summary
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction/communication and the presence of restricted or repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Symptoms are not best explained by intellectual disability and must manifest in the early stages of development This disorder has very heterogeneous clinical features and, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-5), the severity of this condition ranging from mild to severe, according to three severity levels, from 1 to 3.The severity level is based on impaired social communication and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. Level 3 is characterized by severe deficits in social communication skills and the restricted and repetitive behaviors interfere markedly with all areas of functioning (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). The aim of our study was to compare adaptive skills, emotional/behavioral problems, and parental stress among children with different severity levels of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms
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