CHARACTERISTIC INDICATOR OF SEVERE AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: USING ADOS-2

Abstract Objective To identify characteristic indicators for severe autism spectrum disorder in children age 12 months and over. Materials and methods Using a retrospective chart review design, the charts of children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) according to DSM-5 and evaluated by Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) Module 1 at Rajanagarindra Institute of Child Development Chiang Mai in the period October 2014 – September 2015 were selected. Descriptive statistics, Simple binary logistic regression and multiple logistic regression by forward stepwise technique were used for data analysis. Results  There were 96 medical charts of ASD children that met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 75% were boys and mean age was 3 years 1 month (SD = 0.9). Almost half of them (47%) were classified as severe ASD. Logistic regression revealed that five items of ADOS-2 can be used as an indicator for severe autism spectrum disorder: “Stereotyped / Idiosyncratic use of words or phrases”,“facial expressions directed to others”,“requesting”,“showing”and“unusual sensory interest in play material/person”.  Conclusion  Five items were found to be useful indicators for predicting severity of autism spectrum disorder. These findings will help to efficiently reveal suspected severe autism in a child, thus, the diagnostic process can be shortened and suitable early interventions delivered in a timely manner.