Scientific Papers
Social Deficits in Autism: An Operational Approach Using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales

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Abstract

Although social factors are commonly viewed as an important defining characteristics of the autistic syndrome, earlier research studies have not systematically evaluated social dysfunction in autistic individuals. In this study, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales were used to assess adaptive behavior in a group of autistic and a group of nonautistic, developmentally disabled, individuals. As compared to nonautistic subjects, the autistic group exhibited significantly greater deficits in adaptive social behaviors. The result suggests the utility of a well-standardized, normative assessment instrument for documenting autistic social dysfunction.

Key Words:

autism
social development

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The authors thank Richard Rende and Joseph Coleman for assistance in data analysis, and we thank the patients and their parents for their cooperation.

This work was supported in part by the William T. Grant Foundation, MHCRC Grant 30929 . CCRC Grant RR00125 , NICHD Grant HD-03008 . NIMH Grant MH00418 , and Mr. Leonard Berger.

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, San Antonio, Texas. October 1985.