Comorbid psychopathology in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders and intellectual disabilities.
The ASD-CA is a new checklist that flags comorbid disorders in adults with both autism and ID—ask your psychologist if they’re using it.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team built a new checklist called the ASD-CA. It screens for extra mental-health problems in adults who have both autism and intellectual disability.
No treatment was tested. The paper only shows how the scale was made and what questions it includes.
What they found
The ASD-CA scale was born. It gives staff a quick way to flag possible anxiety, mood, or behavior problems that hide behind autism and ID.
The authors did not report outcome data, so we do not yet know how well it predicts real diagnoses.
How this fits with other research
Brereton et al. (2006) already showed autistic kids have more emotional problems than kids with ID alone. The new scale moves that idea to adults.
Austin et al. (2015) later gave the idea teeth: adults with ASD plus severe ID scored higher than ID-only peers on eight problem areas. Their study extends the 2009 scale work by adding hard numbers.
Koegel et al. (2014) narrative review folds the ASD-CA into the field’s short history. It reminds us the tool is young, so keep watching for updates.
Why it matters
You now have a name to ask for. If your adult client has both autism and ID, request the ASD-CA during intake. It can point you to problems like anxiety or impulse bursts that standard autism tools miss. Pair it with direct observation and you will write better behavior plans from day one.
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Email the team psychologist: “Can we add the ASD-CA to our intake packet for adults with ASD+ID?”
02At a glance
03Original abstract
There is an abundance of research investigating Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in children; however, little emphasis has been placed on ASD in adults, especially in regards to comorbid psychopathology. Although scales are available that measure comorbidity in adults with ID, what is needed are scales that measure comorbidity in adults with ID and ASD. One such scale is the newly developed Autism Spectrum Disorders-Comorbidity for Adults (ASD-CA). There are two purposes of this study. The first is to further develop the ASD-CA by calculating cutoff scores for its subscales. The second is to compare the frequency of symptom endorsements on the ASD-CA among three groups: individuals with ID; individuals with ID and ASD; and individuals with ID, ASD, and additional psychopathology.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2009 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2009.05.004