Journal Monitor: Child Psychology Selection

Abstract

The present study set out to explore the manifestation of symptoms in a large community sample of adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). There is considerable need for such an empirical investigation, given that there is a dearth of knowledge about this age group, presenting a real challenge for parents and services. This paper examined the following specific issues: i) the stability of the diagnosis of ASDs; ii) the extent to which the symptoms of autism differ in severity between the lifetime score and the current score on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and iii) which symptoms of autism change the most and which are the most stable.