The presence of externalizing symptoms in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) is a common occurrence. Additionally, recent research... Show moreThe presence of externalizing symptoms in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) is a common occurrence. Additionally, recent research has established high rates of internalizing symptoms within this population. This study examined the frequencies of internalizing and externalizing symptoms according to parent, teacher, and self-report of children and adolescents with an ASD. The agreement between sources on both types of symptoms was examined, as well as the relationship between agreement rates and type of symptom, age, and diagnosis (Autism, Asperger’s Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified). Participants included 77 children and adolescents (8-18 years) who had been diagnosed with an ASD, their parents, and teachers. Parent, teacher, and self-report were measured using the internalizing and externalizing composites of the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition (BASC-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004). Results indicated high rates of both types of symptoms endorsed by all three sources. However, parents reported significantly more symptoms than their children, with symptom endorsement by teachers in between these. Although agreement rates were low across all sources, there was higher agreement for externalizing symptoms compared to internalizing symptoms. Additionally, age was found to impact agreement rates: adolescents’ selfreport of symptoms significantly correlated with parents for both types of symptoms and with teachers for externalizing symptoms, while children’s self-report of symptoms did not significantly correlate with the other sources for either type of symptom. Contrary to hypotheses, age and diagnosis were not related to the rate of self-report. Implications of the findings are discussed. M.S. in Psychology, May 2011 Show less
