Abstract

Although 70% of autistic children and young people meet criteria for co-occurring psychiatric conditions, there are few screening measures specifically for autistic individuals. We describe the development and validation of the Assessment of Concerning Behavior (ACB), an instrument co-developed with the autistic community to assess mental health and problematic/risky behaviors. Items include descriptions to facilitate symptom recognition by autistic people, and carers/professionals. The ACB was completed by 255 parents, 149 autistic children and young people and 30 teachers. Internal consistency, stability and validity was assessed. The ACB parent-version fit a two-factor model (internalizing and externalizing problems) and showed adequate test-retest reliability, internal consistency and construct validity. The ACB is a promising new measure for research and clinical use in autism.

Original languageEnglish
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Volume51
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 14 Oct 2020

Keywords

  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
  • Emotional and behavioral problems
  • Instrument development and validation
  • Risk

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