Characteristic symptoms and adaptive behaviors of children with autism

Objectives: To study the characteristics symptoms and adaptive functioning of children with autism. Moreover, the study also aims to examine the distribution of autism severity groups across gender. Study design: Cross sectional survey design. Place & duration of study: Special education schools of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and data was taken from September 2011 to January 2012. Methodology: A list of 39 children was sorted out who fulfilled the DSM-IV-TR criteria of Autism. Among those screened children only N =23 (15 males and 8 females) were identified as meeting the criteria of autism. Childhood autism rating scale -2 (CARS-2) was used to study the characteristics and severity of symptoms of autism. Later, adaptive behavior scale (school edition: 2) ABS-S: 2, was administered to formulate the level of adaptive functioning. Non- probability purposive sampling was used to acquire the desired sample. Children of both genders, aged 3- 16 years (M= 10.6, S.D=2.97), and enrolled for special education schools were included. Results: Children showed marked impairment in verbal communication (M=3.17, SD=.90) followed by relating to people (M= 2.75, SD=.83) and general impression (M=2.73, SD=1.8).Most of the children showed average to below average adaptive behaviors on number and time (82%) and independent functioning (73%). And poor to very poor adaptive behaviors on prevocational skill (65%), Language development (56%) and economic development (56%). The male children with autism were found to be more severely impaired as compare to females Conclusion: Comprehension of the presentation of characteristic symptoms of children with autism, will be helpful in devising the indigenous interventions plans that are congruent with the level of adaptive functioning. Keywords: Autism, Charateristic symptoms, Adaptive behaviours, Autism spectrum disorde