Structure of Restricted Repetitive Behaviors of Individuals Referred for Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment.

PURPOSE: Restricted and/or repetitive displays of behavior, interests, or activities (RRBs) are one of the core symptom domains of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Current and past research indicates two 'clusters' of RRBs in children with ASD: repetitive sensorimotor (e.g., hand/finger and more complex motor mannerisms) and insistence on sameness (e.g., resistance to changes in the environment) behaviors. The current study aims to fill a gap by examining how RRBs may diverge in individuals with ASD and with other neurodevelopmental disorders (ONDD) in a clinical sample. METHODS: A total of 558 individuals were seen at a tertiary care clinic for a comprehensive clinical assessment of ASD. The sample was split into ASD (n = 292 individuals) and ONDD (n = 266) groups based on clinical diagnosis. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted using Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) RRB item scores for the overall sample, the ASD group, and the ONDD group. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis of ADI-R RRB items indicated a 2-factor solution for the full sample and ASD group. Items loaded onto two factors comprised of "Repetitive Sensorimotor" and "Insistence on Sameness" behaviors, consistent with previous literature. Results demonstrated a unique loading pattern for the non-ASD group, with items clustering into "Higher Order" (e.g., circumscribed interests) and "Lower Order" (e.g., hand and finger mannerisms) behaviors. CONCLUSION: The results of the current study may point towards using RRBs to guide screening of children who are referred for an ASD evaluation to better identify children who are at higher risk of having ASD.

Perceived community disability stigma in multicultural, low-income populations: Measure development and validation.

BACKGROUND: Stigma and knowledge about disabilities differ across groups, impacting care. No validated measures of perceived community disability stigma exist for families in multicultural communities, at risk for disparities. AIMS: Develop and validate a brief bilingual (i.e., English/Spanish) perceived disability stigma measure, compare perceived disability and autism stigma, and examine perceived disability stigma by parent sociodemographic characteristics and disability familiarity. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Secondary data from 522 parents with children ages 2-5 years were recruited from Oregon WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Program agencies for a child development and disability survey in 2015. The study sample included items regarding disability familiarity and stigma, among the survey population, which was 50 % Latino. Internal consistency, reliability and structural validity were examined. Secondary data on perceived disability and similar autism stigma items were compared. Nested multivariable linear regression assessed associations of perceived disability stigma with sociodemographic characteristics and disability familiarity. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Five perceived disability stigma items had reasonable internal consistency and performed well in the confirmatory factor analysis. Perceived autism stigma was greater than perceived disability stigma. Latino parents reported less perceived disability stigma than white parents. Parents who knew 1+ individual(s) with a disability reported greater perceived disability stigma. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The perceived disability stigma scale demonstrated sound psychometric properties. Results suggest differences in how stigma is perceived across sociodemographic characteristics and disability familiarity.