The French Version of the Revised Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale: A Psychometric Validation and Diagnostic Accuracy Study.
French RAADS-R is a useful first screen for adult ASD, but expect many false positives when other psychiatric issues are present.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team translated the RAADS-R into French.
They tested the adults: 70 with ASD, 70 with other mental health issues, and 70 with no diagnosis.
Each person filled out the 80-item checklist and then had a full clinical evaluation.
What they found
The French RAADS-R scores lined up well with clinical ASD diagnoses.
But the tool also flagged many people who had depression, anxiety, or ADHD as possibly autistic.
In plain words: it catches most real cases, yet cries wolf often when other disorders are present.
How this fits with other research
Vanvooren et al. (2017) did the same kind of work with the French M-CHAT for toddlers. Both studies show the same pattern: the French version works, but you must follow up every positive screen.
Roll (2005) reviewed early Asperger scales and warned they all had weak spots. The new French RAADS-R fixes some of those old problems, yet the false-positive issue remains.
Wilson et al. (2013) found that DSM-5 criteria already miss many high-functioning adults. Using the RAADS-R could help catch some of those missed cases, but only if you confirm with deeper testing.
Why it matters
If you assess French-speaking adults for ASD, you can now use the RAADS-R as a quick first step. Just remember: a high score does not equal autism. Plan time for interviews, record reviews, or the ADI-R to rule out other conditions.
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Add the French RAADS-R to your intake packet, but schedule a follow-up ADI-R or clinical interview for every client who scores above the cutoff.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The early recognition of ASD in adults is challenging, in particular due to the lack of appropriate and robust diagnostic tools. We performed a psychometric validation and diagnostic accuracy study of the French version of the RAADS-R on a sample of 305 adults: 105 with ASD without ID, 99 with psychiatric disorders, and 103 non-psychiatric control groups. The French version of the RAADS-R demonstrates good reliability and diagnostic validity, suggesting that it can help clinicians during the diagnostic process in adults with ASD without ID. However, the finding that a two-factor structure better fits the results requires further validation. This study point out the need of further study of RAADS in psychiatric disorders group due to the relatively high false positive rate (55.6%) of ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2021 · doi:10.1073/pnas.1301602110