Characteristics of autism as assessed by the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II).
The DASH-II sorts autism features inside severe ID so you can tell who truly has ASD versus who just looks autistic.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team used the DASH-II checklist on 1,245 people with severe or profound intellectual disability.
They wanted to see which autism traits show up most often in this group.
No treatment was given; they simply counted and described the behaviors.
What they found
The paper lists the rate of each autism feature in the sample.
It does not say if any trait got better or worse; it is purely descriptive.
How this fits with other research
Handleman et al. (1980) did the same kind of head-count sixteen years earlier. They also found that language and daily-living skills were the clearest red flags for autism inside severe ID.
Prigge et al. (2013) took the idea further. They showed that low adaptive scores plus the autism triad together predict serious challenging behavior in adults.
Sasson et al. (2022) and Diemer et al. (2023) repeat the game in specific genetic syndromes. They prove the DASH-II approach works beyond the general severe-ID pool.
Why it matters
If you assess non-verbal clients with profound ID, the DASH-II gives you a quick map of autism traits. Use it to decide who needs a full ADOS, to write precise goals, and to warn caregivers about behavior risk.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Pull the DASH-II for any new client who is non-verbal and has an ID label; check Section C scores before you schedule an ADOS.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The present study involved 1245 individuals with severe and profound mental retardation. Individuals with and without autistic features as assessed by the DASH-II were compared on demographic variables and symptomatology. The core and associated features of autism in severely and profoundly mentally retarded population were identified. Characteristics of persons with autistic disorders are reviewed, and the implications of the results are discussed.
Research in developmental disabilities, 1996 · doi:10.1016/0891-4222(95)00044-5