Johnny L. Matson

Intellectual disability and its relationship to autism spectrum disorders

Intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) covary at very high rates. Similarly, greater severity of one of these two disorders appears to have effects on the other disorder on a host of factors. A good deal of research has appeared on the topic with respect to nosology, prevalence, adaptive functioning, challenging behaviors, and comorbid psychopathology. The purpose of this paper was to provide a critical review and status report on the research published on these topics. Current status and future directions for better understanding these two covarying disorders was reviewed along with a discussion of relevant strengths and weaknesses of the current body of research.

The Behavior Problems Inventory: An Instrument for the Assessment of Self-Injury, Stereotyped Behavior, and Aggression/Destruction in Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

The Behavior Problems Inventory (BPI-01) is a 52-item respondent-based behavior rating instrument for self-injurious, stereotypic, and aggressive/destructive behavior in mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. Items are rated on a frequency scale and a severity scale. The BPI-01 was administered by interviewing direct care staff of 432 randomly selected residents from a developmental center between the ages of 14 to 91 years. For 73% of those selected, at least one problem was endorsed on the BPI-01. A total of 43% showed self-injury, 54% stereotyped behavior, and 38% aggressive/destructive behavior. Confirmatory factor analysis and item-total correlations supported the three a priori factors. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) showed that of the variables age, sex, and level of mental retardation, only the latter had a significant effect on the BPI-01 total score, the SIB subscale score, and the Stereotyped Behavior subscale score. Aggression/destruction was not significantly related to any of the three variables. Individuals with a diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder had higher scores on all three subscales than those without, whereas residents with a diagnosis of stereotyped movement disorder had higher Stereotyped Behavior scale scores than those without. The BPI-01 was found to be a reliable (retest reliability, internal consistency, and between-interviewer-agreement) and valid (factor and criterion validity) behavior rating instrument for problem behaviors in mental retardation and developmental disabilities with a variety of potentially useful applications. Strengths and limitations of the instrument are discussed.

Development of a rating scale to measure social skills in children: The matson evaluation of social skills with youngsters (MESSY)

Abstract The development of a scale for assessing social skills with children is reported. The Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY) was completed on 744 children between 4 and 18 years of age. A self-report form was completed on 422 children while 322 children were rated on a teacher-report measure using a 5-point Likert-type scale. Analyses included test-retest reliability conducted at a 2-week interval using Pearson correlations, factor-analytic procedures and selected analyses of variance and appropriate post-hoc tests. Implications of present findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Behavioral Treatment of Autistic Persons: A Review of Research from 1980 to the Present.

Studies evaluating behavioral treatment of autism from 1980 to the present were reviewed. Studies included were published in journal articles and utilized behavioral methodology. A total of 251 studies were included in the review. Each study was analyzed for target behaviors and behavioral techniques implemented. Target behaviors were divided into categories, which included aberrant behaviors, social skills, language, daily living skills, and academic skills. Behavioral techniques were classified as positive, negative, extinction, or combined. Results were presented for each category. Recent trends in the treatment literature were also reviewed, and recommendations for future research were presented.

Fears in children and adolescents: normative data

Abstract The present study examined the frequency, intensity and factor structure of fear in boys and girls between 7 and 18 yr of age. All youths were administered the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-R). Results indicated that girls evinced quantitative and qualitative differences from boys in the intensity and structure of their self-reported fears. Chronological age differences were not found, however, suggesting that boys and girls across these age ranges reported a similar level and structure of fear. The present study establishes the utility of the FSSC-R for these various age ranges and provides valuable normative data regarding its use.

Social-Skills Treatments for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders An Overview

Marked advances in the treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has occurred in the past few decades, primarily using applied behavior analysis. However, reviews of trends in social skills treatment for children with ASDs have been scant, despite a robust and growing empirical literature on the topic. In this selective review of 79 treatment studies, the authors note that the research has been particularly marked by fragmented development, using a range of intervention approaches and definitions of the construct. Modeling and reinforcement treatments have been the most popular model from the outset, with most studies conducted in school settings by teachers or psychologists. Investigators have been particularly attentive to issues of generalization and follow-up. However, large-scale group studies and comparisons of different training strategies are almost nonexistent. These trends and their implications for future research aimed at filling gaps in the existing literature are discussed.

Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF) : A behavioral checklist for functional assessment of aberrant behavior

Functional assessment is a method to identify the relationships between a behavior of interest and an individuals environment. Traditional methods for functional assessment have relied on experimental techniques in which analog sessions are designed to replicate conditions in the individuals environment. However, these techniques can be time-consuming, require advanced training, and rely on the availability of extensive resources in the individuals setting. Development of a brief functional assessment checklist would circumvent these difficulties and meet clinical needs for efficient assessment methods. The current study provides psychometric data for the Questions About Behavioral Function. These data include test-retest, inter-rater, and internal consistency.

Characteristics of Autism as Assessed by the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II).

The present study involved 1245 individuals with severe and profound mental retardation. Individuals with and without autistic features as assessed by the DASH-II were compared on demographic variables and symptomatology. The core and associated features of autism in severely and profoundly mentally retarded population were identified. Characteristics of persons with autistic disorders are reviewed, and the implications of the results are discussed.

The assessment of depression in children: The internal structure of the child depression inventory (CDI)

Abstract In the present report three separate studies of childhood depression were conducted. First, the internal structure of the Child Depression Inventory (CDI), with 216 children representing various ethnic groups with equal numbers of boys and girls, was evaluated through a factor analysis and by various internal-reliability measures (e.g. split-half reliabilities, Pearson correlations of each item to the total score). Four factors were established and internal reliability of the scale proved to be high. The relationship of the factor structure of the CDI to Kendells Type A and B categorization of depression are discussed. In Study 2 the relationship of demographic variables to the CDI using the same group of children described for Study 1 was employed. Evaluating the characteristics of depression across age, sex and so on in children has not been frequently studied, and was deemed appropriate for the present investigation. Age proved to be a significant factor in depression scores although race and gender did not. With respect to age, older children tended to display more symptomatology. Comparisons of depressed children to nondepressed children also showed that age was a factor in the obtained scores, and range of severity in both groups. Depressed children differed from nondepressed children on all 27 items indicating that all the items on the CDI seem to be measuring a unitary concept. Study 3 compared CDI scores to a measure of social behavior, the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngster (MESSY). Seventy-six children (36 girls and 40 boys), ages 4–10 yrs ( X = 7) were evaluated. Appropriate Social Skills was negatively correlated with childhood depression, and Inappropriate Impulsive/Assertiveness was positively correlated with depressive features described under the factor Guilt/Irritability. The implications of these data for further research on assessment, differential diagnosis and evaluation of treatment research are discussed.

A validity study on the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF) Scale: predicting treatment success for self-injury, aggression, and stereotypies.

We investigated the validity of the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF), a checklist designed to assess antecedent behavior, using a sample of 398 persons with mental retardation and a targeted maladaptive behavior of self-injurious behavior, aggression, or stereotypies. The QABF was used successfully to derive clear behavioral functions for most individuals (84%) across all three target behaviors. Further, subjects with treatments developed from functional assessment (QABF results) improved significantly when compared to controls receiving standard treatments not based on functional analysis. Implications of the present findings for assessing and treating maladaptive behaviors are discussed.