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Spanish Adaptation of the Autism Spectrum Disorders - Diagnosis for Adults (ASD-DA) in Adults with Severe and Profound Intellectual Disability

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Abstract

The Autism Spectrum Disorders - Diagnosis for Adults (ASD-DA) with intellectual disability was designed to quickly provide relevant information to establish a diagnosis of the most common Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) (autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified and Asperger’s syndrome) (Matson et al. 2007a). The ASD-DA was adapted and translated into Spanish and administered to a sample of 156 adults with severe (n = 67, 42.9%) and profound (n = 89, 57.1%) intellectual disability. Seventy-one (45.5%) participants had a diagnosis of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, and the other eighty-five (54.5%) had a diagnosis of intellectual disability without autism spectrum disorder. The reliability scores of the scales implied values in the “good-to-excellent” range (0.78–0.95), and test-retest reliability was obtained with good values for most of the items on the scale. A three-factor structure was replicated via confirmatory factor analysis. Participants with and without ASD showed significant differences in the three ASD-DA scales and in their total scores. Using a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, a score of 21 on the ASD-DA scale showed good specificity (0.97) and sensitivity (0.92) values with respect to DSM-IV-TR criteria.

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Authors

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Correspondence to Alfonso Gutiérrez-Zotes.

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Role of the Funding Source

This study received no funding source.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Conflict of Interest

I Planelles-Fernández, D Gallardo-Pujol, A Labad, D Godall, N Cristia and JA Gutiérrez-Zotes declare that they have no conflicts of interest concerning this article. Deann Matson, Dr. Johnny L. Matson’s wife, is the sole owner of the Autism Spectrum Disorders- Diagnosis for Adults (ASD-DA) and sells the scale.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Spanish version of ASD-DA scale

(Escala de Diagnóstico de Trastornos del Espectro Autista para Adultos con Discapacidad Intelectual).

Puntúe cada ítem en la medida en que sea o haya sido un problema alguna vez. Compare a la persona con otras de su edad (que vivan en la comunidad) basándose en lo siguiente:

0 = No es diferente. No tiene discapacidad. 1 = Diferente. Alguna discapacidad.

1. Habilidades de comunicación.

2. Habilidades de autoayuda y adaptativas adecuadas a su edad (por ejemplo: ser capaz de cuidar de sí mismo).

3. Incurre en movimientos motores repetitivos sin ninguna razón (por ejemplo: agita la mano, balancea el cuerpo, se golpea la cabeza, hace aleteos con las manos).

4. Comunicación verbal.

5. Prefiere la ropa de una determinada textura.

6. Capacidad para reconocer las emociones de los demás.

7. Mantiene contacto ocular.

8. Uso del lenguaje para comunicarse.

9. Interacciones sociales con otros de su edad.

10. Responde a las señales sociales de los demás.

11. Reacción a las luces normales diarias (por ejemplo: semáforos, etc)

12. Relaciones con compañeros.

13. Uso del lenguaje en conversaciones con los demás.

14. Comparte el disfrute, intereses o logros con los demás (por ejemplo: padres, amigos, cuidadores)

15. Capacidad para hacer y mantener amigos

16. Interés en participar en juegos, deportes y actividades sociales

17. Interés en la opinión expresada por otra persona en una conversación (por ejemplo: habla con las personas con la intención de escuchar lo que tienen que decir)

18. Uso de muy pocos o demasiados gestos sociales

19. Le gustan las muestras de afecto (por ejemplo: halagos, abrazos)

20. Conciencia de las normas no escritas o no habladas del juego social (por ejemplo: esperar el turno, compartir)

21. Lee la comunicación no verbal (lenguaje corporal) de otras personas (si está ciego, puntuar “0”).

22. Curiosidad por lo que le rodea.

23. Responde ante el estrés de los demás.

24. Se socializa con otros adultos.

25. Uso de la comunicación no verbal.

26. Limitado número de intereses.

27. Imitación de un modelo adulto o infantil (ejemplo: el cuidador dice adiós con la mano entonces el niño dice adiós con la mano).

28. Movimientos de manos o brazos anormales o repetitivos.

29. Desarrollo de relaciones sociales.

30. Se aísla (ejemplo: quiere estar solo/sola).

31. Participación en juegos u otras actividades sociales.

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Planelles-Fernández, I., Gallardo-Pujol, D., Labad, A. et al. Spanish Adaptation of the Autism Spectrum Disorders - Diagnosis for Adults (ASD-DA) in Adults with Severe and Profound Intellectual Disability. J Dev Phys Disabil 29, 625–642 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-017-9541-5

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