The purpose of this study is to investigate alternative ways for the assessment of ASD. To this end the present article examined if deficits in affective and relational skills can predict the...Show moreThe purpose of this study is to investigate alternative ways for the assessment of ASD. To this end the present article examined if deficits in affective and relational skills can predict the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children aged 4 to 12 years. The sample consisted of 186 Dutch children, 45 children with ASD and 123 children without a diagnosis. The parents were asked to complete the Questionnaire Psychosocial Skills (VPV), which covers relational and affective skills, about their child. The results show that children with ASD have significant deficits in relational and affective skills. In addition, the relational and affective skills with gender and age predict with a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 96% the diagnosis of ASD. The total accuracy was 92%. When the relational and affective skills decrease the probability of the diagnosis of ASD grow. It is concludes that the VPV questionnaire, i.e. the subscales relational and affective skills, is a good research tool to support the diagnosis of ASD.Show less
