Parental report of the early development of children with regressive autism: the delays-plus-regression phenotype.

Most children with autism demonstrate developmental abnormalities in their first year, whereas others display regression after mostly normal development. Few studies have examined the early development of the latter group. This study developed a retrospective measure, the Early Development Questionnaire (EDQ), to collect specific, parent-reported information about development in the first 18 months.

Utility of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale in research and clinical populations.

The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) was developed as a relatively easy, inexpensive aid in the surveillance and diagnosis of autism. This study examined the validity of the GARS when used with a sample of 119 children with strict DSM-IV diagnoses of autism, ascertained from both clinical and research settings. The GARS consistently underestimated the likelihood that autistic children in this sample would be classified as having autism.

Social skills interventions for the autism spectrum: essential ingredients and a model curriculum.

This article outlines the ingredients the authors feel are critical to making social skills interventions successful for children with autism spectrum disorders. The authors described basic principles for teaching social skills that capitalize on the strengths of such children, while specifically addressing their deficits. The authors applied these widely used principles to group social skills intervention.