Brief report: the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales in young children with autism spectrum disorders at different cognitive levels.

Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) data were examined in a large sample of young children with ASD (n = 290) of varying cognitive levels. IQ was higher than VABS composite score among high functioning children only; the opposite pattern was found in lower IQ subgroups. Profile analysis of VABS domains across cognitive levels demonstrated different profiles in different subgroups.

Assessing sexual arousal with adolescent males who have offended sexually: self-report and unobtrusively measured viewing time.

Sexual arousal was assessed using three approaches: the Affinity (Version. 1.0) computerized assessment of unobtrusively measured viewing time (VT), Affinity self-report ratings of sexual attractiveness, and a self-report sexual arousal graphing procedure.

Multi-site study of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) in five clinical groups of young children.

This study examined several questions pertaining to the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) in a sample of 274 preschool children (aged 2-6 years) clinically diagnosed as falling in one of five groups: Autistic Disorder, PDD-NOS, MR, Delayed, and Other. In addition to diagnosis and the CARS, all children were given standardized cognitive and adaptive behavior measures. Results indicated high concordance between the CARS and clinical diagnosis using DSM-IV (including excellent sensitivity and specificity).

The Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sexual Offense Recidivism (ERASOR): preliminary psychometric data.

The Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sexual Offense Recidivism (ERASOR) is an empirically guided checklist designed to assist clinicians to estimate the short-term risk of a sexual reoffense for youth aged 12-18 years of age. The ERASOR provides objective coding instructions for 25 risk factors (16 dynamic and 9 static). To investigate the psychometric properties, risk ratings were collected from 28 clinicians who evaluated 136 adolescent males (aged 12-18 years) following comprehensive, clinical assessments.

The importance of offense characteristics, victimization history, hostility, and social desirability in assessing empathy of male adolescent sex offenders.

Empathy has been a focus of work with sex offenders; however, there are a limited number of studies supporting this as a deficit. The study investigated the reliability and validity of 3 scales of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)--Empathic Concern [EC], Perspective-Taking [PT], and Personal Distress [PD]--within a clinical sample. These scales were also used to examine the differences in empathy among groups of sex offenders.

Personality-based typology of adolescent male sexual offenders: differences in recidivism rates, victim-selection characteristics, and personal victimization histories.

California Psychological Inventory scores from 112 adolescent male sexual offenders aged 12-19 (M = 15.59, SD = 1.46) were examined.

Adolescent sexual offender recidivism: success of specialized treatment and implications for risk prediction.

Objective: To evaluate the success of specialized community-based treatment for reducing adolescent sexual reoffending and explore the predictive utility of variables assessed regarding sexual and nonsexual recidivism.

Method: Recidivism data (criminal charges) were collected for 58 offenders participating in at least 12 months of specialized treatment at the SAFE-T Program. Data were also collected for a comparison group of 90 adolescents who received only an assessment (n = 46), refused treatment (n = 17), or dropped out before 12 months (n = 27).

Sexual abuse histories of adolescent male sex offenders: differences on the basis of the age and gender of their victims.

Childhood sexual abuse has often been implicated in the etiology of adolescent sex offending behavior. Victimization rates in the literature vary according to whether data are collected prior (22%) or subsequent (52%) to treatment. Previous research suggests that the incidence of sexual abuse varies as a function of victim age and gender.

Adolescent sibling-incest offenders: differences in family and individual functioning when compared to adolescent nonsibling sex offenders.

Adolescent male sex offenders who assaulted younger siblings (n = 32) were compared to those who offended against nonsibling children (n = 28). Data were based on responses to the Assessing Environments (III) Scale, Family-of-Origin Scale, Youth Self-Report, Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Unlike many earlier studies of adolescent sex offenders, sexual offending/victimization histories were based on information collected from regular meetings rather than intake files or initial interviews; offenders' age, socioeconomic status (SES), and social desirability were examined to avoid potential confounds of these variables; victim age and gender were analyzed to ensure that comparisons between sibling and nonsibling offenders were not confounded by victim age or gender; and internal consistencies of the variables were verified with a larger clinical sample (n = 209).

Continuity of care for conduct disordered youth.

The objectives of this study were to determine which risk factors associated with chronicity had been displayed by youths who had been treated for conduct disorder in a tertiary level mental health centre and also to count the number of interventions and the number of agencies involved during their many years in treatment. The files of 25 youths with conduct disorder were examined to extract all relevant data. The youths averaged nine years between first intervention and last discharge.

Stress and family functioning in parents of girls with Rett syndrome.

Mothers and fathers of 29 girls with Rett syndrome provided data about their levels of parenting stress, marital adjustment, and family functioning. Their scores were compared to normative and clinical samples. The parents of girls with Rett syndrome reported more stress, lower marital satisfaction, and certain adaptations in family functioning compared to norms.

Rett syndrome: a comprehensive review of the literature.

A comprehensive review of Rett syndrome, a recently identified developmental disability found only in females, was presented. The syndrome involves severe physical and mental handicaps. The rapidly accumulating research on Rett syndrome was reviewed for readers without a medical background.

Child behaviours as stressors: replicating and extending the use of the CARS as a measure of stress: a research note.

Autistic children represent a source of stress for their parents, but the most appropriate way to measure this stress is not clear. Two studies in the literature compared parents' and professionals' ratings of symptom severity, and had parents rate the stressfulness of each symptom. The present study sought to replicate past research, and to extend it by validating this method of measuring parental stress compared to more traditional measures.

Youth with conduct disorder: a challenge to be met.

Conduct disorder is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents between the ages of four and 16. This paper summarizes the literature on conduct disorder, from definition and diagnosis to treatment and prevention. In addition, it reports on the deliberations and recommendations of a group of clinicians and researchers who met at a retreat to discuss ways to improve the quality of treatment and develop prevention strategies for youth with conduct disorder.

The effects of fenfluramine (hydrochloride) on the behaviors of fifteen autistic children.

Fifteen autistic individuals were involved in an investigation using fenfluramine and placebo in a double-blind crossover design. Subjects were assessed using IQ tests, the Real Life Rating Scale (RLRS), the Adaptive Behavior Scale-School Edition (ABS-SE), and videotaped play data on 8 of 12 visits, including 2 follow-up visits. Serotonin level in platelet-poor plasma was assessed on all 12 visits.

Admitting whole families: an alternative to residential care.

This paper is an examination of the effectiveness of a programme (described in detail elsewhere) designed to admit whole families for short-term intensive assessment and treatment. The goals of this programme are to eliminate residential care for symptomatic children who are admitted with their families to this service, to decrease the length of stay of the symptomatic child in residential treatment, if this is required following admission of the whole family to this unit, and to provide these services at costs comparable to or less than that currently being spent with conventional residential treatment. Results stemming from a number of pre- and post-treatment measures indicate that one half of the children initially assessed and recommended for inpatient treatment had successfully avoided inpatient treatment for six months following admission of their family to this unit.

Psychometric validity and clinical usefulness of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales and the AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale for an autistic sample.

Two prominent assessment measures of adaptive behavior were compared and evaluated in terms of their psychometric properties and their clinical usefulness for autistic children and adolescents. The AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale-School Edition (Lambert & Windmiller, 1981) and the Vineland Adapative Behavior Scales (Sparrow, Balla, & Cicchetti, 1984) were compared in 15 autistic persons aged 8 to 18. Correlations between the two instruments revealed good concurrent validity.

Who gets what treatment and why.

Planning of treatment in psychiatry does not receive the same careful attention that is given to formulation and diagnosis. Very often the choice of the format and the orientation of the treatment is determined by the personal preference of the therapist. It is suggested that proven effectiveness of the treatment for the condition presented by the patient should be given a priority.

A problem-solving model for teaching remedial arithmetic to handicapped young children.

An operant problem-solving model was used to assist two handicapped young boys to learn the concept of number. During the initial baseline condition, with intermittent teacher-attention contingencies in a classroom setting, both boys were performing number concept tasks at about the 50% level of accuracy. The situation was changed to a one-to-one, tutor-pupil arrangement, with continuous reinforcement for correct responses.