Autism spectrum disorder severity as a predictor of Battelle Developmental Inventory - second edition (BDI-2) scores in toddlers.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the severity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptomology and scores on the Battelle Developmental Inventory, Second Edition (BDI-2) in toddlers (n = 325).

Methods: Total scores on the BDI-2 and individual domain scores were examined to explore the relationship between severity of ASD and developmental quotient, impairment in personal-social skills, adaptive functioning, cognition, and communication.

Results: Regression analyses controlled for the impact of age and IQ on results, indicating that higher autism severity scores were associated with overall greater impairment and in the total scores and the individual domains of the BDI-2. The domains were found to be differentially affected by severity of ASD.

Conclusion: These findings suggest severity of ASD may influence symptom presentation. Clinical implications of study findings are discussed.