Investigating the factor structure of the Child Behavior Checklist in a large sample of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
Read More Add to Saved list
  • Additional Information
    • Abstract:
      Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by core impairments in social communication and restricted and repetitive behaviors, with high rates of co-occurring emotional and behavioral problems. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) is one of the most widely accepted rating scales used to assess childhood emotional and behavioral problems, and it has been used in many large-scale studies of children with ASD. However, it is not known whether the previously established factor model sufficiently accounts for symptom patterns in children with ASD. Method We conducted two Confirmatory Factor Analyses for each of the two versions of the CBCL (ages 1.5–5 and ages 6–18) in a large sample of children with ASD: one on the established measurement model and one on the structural model produced from an Exploratory Factor Analyses. We used several model fit indices to determine the best fitting model. Results We found that the established CBCL factor structure was the best fitting model for young children with ASD, but not for older children with ASD. Conclusions Models produced from Exploratory Factor Analyses provided evidence that the underlying behavioral constructs measured by the CBCL for ages 6–18 are different in children with ASD than among the typically developing sample. The results of this study have implications regarding how the CBCL should be interpreted in children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
    • Abstract:
      Copyright of Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)