Brief Report: Use of DQ for Estimating Cognitive Ability in Young Children with Autism

The utility of Developmental Quotients (DQ) from the Psychoeducational Profile—Revised (PEP-R) to estimate cognitive ability in young children with autism was assessed. DQ scores were compared to scores from the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales—Fourth Edition (SB-FE) for 27 preschool students with autism. Overall and domain DQ’s on the PEP-R were significantly correlated with SB-FE composite IQ and Verbal Reasoning scores. Additional analyses with rank scores from each instrument confirmed these results. Results indicate that DQ scores obtained by the PEP-R are reasonable estimates of cognitive ability in this sample as measured by the SB-FE. Some administration advantages suggest that the PEP-R may be a viable alternative to the SB-FE (for estimating cognitive skills) under some conditions.