| Type of Document |
Dissertation |
| Author |
Gonzalez, Melissa Luke
|
| URN |
etd-07072008-204632 |
| Title |
The Initial Reliability and Construct Validity of the Autism Spectrum Disorder-Diagnostic (ASD-DC) in Children
|
| Degree |
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) |
| Department |
Psychology |
| Advisory Committee |
| Advisor Name |
Title |
| Matson, Johnny Lee |
Committee Chair |
| Davis, Thompson E. III |
Committee Member |
| Gouvier, William D. |
Committee Member |
| Noell, George Jr. |
Committee Member |
| Gansle, Kristin A. |
Dean's Representative |
|
| Keywords |
- assessment
- autism
- developmental disabilities
|
| Date of Defense |
2007-08-07 |
| Availability |
unrestricted |
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to examine the reliability and construct validity of a newly developed assessment scale designed to identify autism spectrum disorders in children: Autism Spectrum Disorder-Diagnostic for Children (ASD-DC). Participants were parents and caregivers of children between ages 2 and 16 years, who are typically developing or developmentally delayed. Participants were asked to complete several rating scales including the ASD-DC, a DSM-IV-TR/ICD-10 checklist, the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills in Youngsters (MESSY), and the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Version 2 (BASC-2). In Study 1, the test-retest, inter-rater, and inter-item reliabilities of the ASD-DC was examined. After initial reliability analysis, the scale was reduced to 37 items. The ASD-DC was found to have good to excellent inter-rater reliability, and excellent test-retest reliability. The 37 item scale had excellent internal consistency (Ą = .99) and adequate item-scale correlations. In Study 2, the construct validity of the ASD-DC was investigated by evaluating the pattern of correlations (i.e., convergent and divergent validity) among the administered scales utilizing a correlation matrix. The ASD-DC converged with another measure of autism (i.e., DSM-IV-TR/ICD-10 checklist) and other associated symptoms of ASD. Further, divergence was observed when the ASD-DC was correlated with measures of social skills and functional communication. Based on the results of this initial study of the ASD-DC, the psychometric properties of this new scale are promising and warrant further investigation. Implications of these findings and future directions are discussed.
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| Files |
| Filename |
Size |
Approximate Download Time
(Hours:Minutes:Seconds)
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| 28.8 Modem |
56K Modem |
ISDN (64 Kb) |
ISDN (128 Kb) |
Higher-speed Access |
| |
Gonzalezdiss.pdf.pdf |
1.60 Mb |
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