Dimensional approach to infantile autism in mentally retarded adults

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Abstract
ABSTRACT— By use of latent trait models, a 7‐item autism rating scale was established, based on the Medical Research Council's Schedule of Handicaps, Behaviours and Skills. Data from a community‐based sample of 302 mentally retarded adults were analysed, assigning good internal validity to the autism scale, and revealing a distribution of symptoms consistent with dimensional, rather than categorical, distribution of infantile autism. A total of 23 (7.6%) of the sample were earlier diagnosed as suffering from infantile autism. Using this clinical diagnosis as a reference, the autism rating scale, with a cut‐off point at ≥2, established diagnoses with a sensitivity of 0.83 and specificity of 0.89.

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