Measuring repetitive behaviors as a treatment endpoint in youth with autism spectrum disorder.
Only five of 24 repetitive-behavior measures are solid enough for clinical trials.
01Research in Context
What this study did
A panel of autism experts hunted for good yardsticks of repetitive behavior.
They screened 24 tools used in kids with autism.
After rating each one, they kept only the five that looked trial-ready.
What they found
Only five measures passed: ADI-R, ADOS-2, RBS-R, CRI, and BPI-01.
The rest lacked the data needed for a solid clinical-trial endpoint.
How this fits with other research
He et al. (2019) later showed the RBS-R works well in Chinese preschoolers.
That backs Lawrence’s pick and stretches the tool across cultures.
Foley-Nicpon et al. (2017) warn that ADOS alone can drop over half of bright kids.
So pair ADOS with ADI-R, just as Lawrence’s list advises.
Boudreau et al. (2015) found the PDDBI’s autism scores miss the mark.
Lawrence still kept PDDBI off the short list, so the two views line up.
Why it matters
If you run treatment studies, pick one of the five trial-ready tools.
You will collect cleaner data and speed FDA or journal review.
In clinic, the same tools give you a shared language with other BCBAs.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors vary widely in type, frequency, and intensity among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. They can be stigmatizing and interfere with more constructive activities. Accordingly, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors may be a target of intervention. Several standardized instruments have been developed to assess restricted interests and repetitive behaviors in the autism spectrum disorder population, but the rigor of psychometric assessment is variable. This article evaluated the readiness of available measures for use as outcome measures in clinical trials. The Autism Speaks Foundation assembled a panel of experts to examine available instruments used to measure restricted interests and repetitive behaviors in youth with autism spectrum disorder. The panel held monthly conference calls and two face-to-face meetings over 14 months to develop and apply evaluative criteria for available instruments. Twenty-four instruments were evaluated and five were considered "appropriate with conditions" for use as outcome measures in clinical trials. Ideally, primary outcome measures should be relevant to the clinical target, be reliable and valid, and cover the symptom domain without being burdensome to subjects. The goal of the report was to promote consensus across funding agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and clinical investigators about advantages and disadvantages of existing outcome measures.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2015 · doi:10.1177/1362361313510069