Behavioral and emotional problems in young people with pervasive developmental disorders: relative prevalence, effects of subject characteristics, and empirical classification.
Parent and teacher ratings carve kids with PDD into five clear behavior types you can use for quick treatment planning.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lecavalier (2006) asked parents and teachers to fill out rating scales on the kids with PDD.
The team ran cluster analysis to see if the scores grouped into clear behavior types.
Kids came from clinics and schools across age ranges, not just one grade.
What they found
The numbers fell into five clusters: problem-free, hyperactive, anxious, irritable, and a mixed group.
The same profiles showed up at home and at school, so the types seem real.
How this fits with other research
Kaur et al. (2024) used the same math on teacher-only ratings and added ADHD traits.
They also found tight clusters, proving the method still works when you widen the lens.
Bremer et al. (2020) looked at attention and math skills in a mixed ASD-plus-typical sample.
Their clusters crossed diagnosis lines, showing attention level matters more than the ASD label.
Arpone et al. (2022) warn that parent and clinician scores often clash, so Luc’s matched parent-teacher sets may be cleaner than real-life data.
Why it matters
You can sort new clients into one of Luc’s five behavior types after intake.
Pick the cluster that fits best, then choose tools that already work for that type.
If ratings don’t line up, follow Arpone et al. (2022) and probe context before you treat.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Parents or teachers rated 487 non-clinically referred young people with Pervasive Developmental Disorders on the Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form. The objectives of the study were to examine the relative prevalence of specific behavior problems, assess the impact of subject characteristics, and derive an empirical classification of behavioral and emotional problems for this population. Results indicated that the youngsters experienced high rates of behavior and emotional problems. Cluster analysis suggested that six- and eight-cluster solutions best fit the ratings provided by parents and teachers, respectively. Both parent and teacher cluster solutions contained groups of children characterized as problem free, well adapted, hyperactive, anxious, and with undifferentiated behavior disturbances. The empirically derived clusters were supported by data external to the analyses.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2006 · doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0147-5