| Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong disorder, meaning that an individual will
present with some characteristics across their lifespan. Following its diagnostic introduction in
the 1940s, the knowledge and awareness surrounding ASD have rapidly changed; however, the
limitations presented in the original studies of ASD have been perpetuated across time.
Originally thought of only in childhood, our understanding of ASD is often limited across the
lifespan. Further, original ideologies did not elucidate on the presentation of the female, nonbinary, gender diverse, and high-masking populations. Outdated ideologies have not only
informed the understanding of ASD but have also limited the ability to assess the diagnosis
across age and gender accurately. This present study aims to close the gap in the current
assessment process for adults suspected of ASD. In the first step of creating a new measure,
items were crafted with assistance from the autism community. Items targeted the diagnostic
criteria, sensory sensitivities, and masking behaviors. A sample of 78 participants was collected,
of whom completed a Qualtrics survey that included the created items and the Autism Quotient
(AQ). The new measure indicated great ability to differentiate autism from neurotypical
populations. A PCA was conducted, revealing a two-component structure with low
communalities, suggesting that a larger sample size is needed (Fabrigar et al., 1999).
Psychometric properties were analyzed, suggesting acceptable sensitivity and specificity.
Differences between gender groups were present on the final measure, specifically with the small
sample of participants who identified their gender identity as other compared to the male and
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female groups. This study provided promising preliminary results; however, more data needs to
be collected to truly understand the implications of this project.
Keywords: ASD, diagnostic accuracy, assessment process, PCA |