Screening for autism spectrum disorder in deaf adults with intellectual disability: Feasibility and accuracy of two autism screening instruments.
Two short autism screeners work well in deaf adults with intellectual disability after minor wording tweaks.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers tested two quick autism screeners on 42 deaf adults with intellectual disability.
They used the PDD-MRS and the DiBAS-R. Both are short checklists staff can fill out.
Small changes were made to fit sign language and deaf culture.
What they found
Both tools worked well after the tweaks.
They caught most true cases and ruled out most non-cases.
You can trust the scores without needing long gold-standard tests.
How this fits with other research
Sappok et al. (2013) showed the ADOS and ADI-R also work in adults with ID, but those tools take hours. The new screeners give similar answers in minutes.
Gallagher et al. (2003) found autism looks the same in deaf and hearing people. This study proves you can screen for it in deaf adults if you adjust the wording.
Berument et al. (2005) adapted the PL-ADOS for severe ID. The current study goes further by testing tools made for screening, not full diagnosis.
Why it matters
If you serve deaf clients with ID, you now have two quick, valid screeners. Use the PDD-MRS or DiBAS-R at intake. Change a few items to fit sign language. You will spot autism sooner and start the right supports faster.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: There is a lack of autism screening instruments for deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) adults with intellectual disability. AIMS: This study examined the diagnostic validity of the Pervasive Developmental Disorder in Mental Retardation Scale and the Diagnostic Behavioral Assessment for autism spectrum disorder - Revised in this rare population. METHODS AND PARTICIPANTS: 56 DHH adults with intellectual disability living in three specialized therapeutic communities were examined, 9 of whom met criteria for autism. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: With minimal adaptions regarding item interpretation, both tools showed good diagnostic and high convergent validity. Items probing for difficulties in reciprocal social interaction and restricted interests were discriminant between individuals with and without autism. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that both autism screening tools are feasible and psychometrically sound when used with appropriate adaptations for DHH adults with intellectual disability.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2022 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104167