Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2010 The elr ationship between social skills and challenging behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders Jonathan Wilkins Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Wilkins, Jonathan, "The er lationship between social skills and challenging behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders" (2010). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 766. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/766 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL SKILLS AND CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Louisiana State University Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in The Department of Psychology by Jonathan Wilkins M.A., Louisiana State University 2008 B.A., Carleton College 1998 August 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ iii Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iv Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 Autism Spectrum Disorders: History and Symptoms ........................................................ 1 Assessment of ASD ......................................................................................................... 25 Related Difficulties of ASD ............................................................................................. 30 Challenging Behaviors ..................................................................................................... 35 Social Skills ..................................................................................................................... 47 Rationale ...................................................................................................................................... 63 Study 1 ......................................................................................................................................... 64 Method ............................................................................................................................. 64 Results .............................................................................................................................. 75 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 79 Study 2 ......................................................................................................................................... 85 Method ............................................................................................................................. 85 Results .............................................................................................................................. 87 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 94 Implications and Future Directions .............................................................................................. 99 References .................................................................................................................................. 108 Appendix A: DSM-IV-TR/ICD-10 Checklist ............................................................................ 131 Appendix B: Demographic Questionnaire Regarding SES ....................................................... 132 Vita ............................................................................................................................................. 134 ii LIST OF TABLES 1. Demographic characteristics of the children in the sample ................................................... 67 2. Demographic characteristics of primary informants .............................................................. 70 3. Correlation coefficients for MESSY and ASD-BPC subscales by diagnostic group, including both ASD samples ................................................................................................. 76 4. Multiple regression analysis predicting ASD-BPC subscale scores from MESSY subscale scores ....................................................................................................................... 78 5. Results of stepwise multiple regression analysis with ASD-BPC total score as criterion variable ................................................................................................................................... 89 6. Results of stepwise multiple regression analysis with ASD-BPC internalizing score as criterion variable .................................................................................................................... 91 7. Results of stepwise multiple regression analysis with ASD-BPC externalizing score as criterion variable .................................................................................................................... 92 8. Results of hierarchal multiple regression with ASD-BPC subscales as criterion variables ................................................................................................................................. 95 iii ABSTRACT The autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are among the most serious and debilitating conditions with onset in early childhood. Deficits in social interaction skills are considered to be the hallmark set of symptoms and are given the most weight in current diagnostic systems. Although not considered among the core symptoms of ASD, challenging behaviors in the form of physical aggression, property destruction, and self-injury also commonly occur. Challenging behaviors of this nature are a salient feature of ASD because of their potential to cause harm to self and others as well as limit a child’s access to opportunities in community and academic settings. However, at this point little is known about the relationship between these two variables. In the present study, the relationship between social skills and challenging behavior in children with ASD was explored through a series of correlational and regression analyses. In Study 1, it was demonstrated that this relationship was stronger for children with ASD than typically developing controls and that measures of social skills could significantly predict variance in measures of challenging behavior. This relationship was explored in further detail for the ASD group in Study 2, where it was determined that the social skills deficits/excesses exhibited by these children predicted variance in challenging behavior above and beyond that of ASD symptom severity, most notably with regard to repetitive, self-injurious, and overall levels of challenging behaviors. Implications of the results and directions for future research are discussed. iv INTRODUCTION The autism spectrum disorders (ASD) encompass five related conditions believed to be neurodevelopmental in origin (Lam, Aman, & Arnold, 2006). Although symptom presentations are often rather heterogeneous across individuals, the disorders are all characterized by onset in early childhood and deficits in social interaction and communication along with the presence of restricted or repetitive behaviors (Wing, 1997). Over the years researchers have proposed many possible etiologies of autism and the other ASD, with those involving genetic factors receiving the most empirical support (Matson & Minshawi, 2006). The ASD were once thought to be quite rare (approximately 4 out of 10,000; Lotter, 1966; Wing & Gould, 1979). Currently, the prevalence is usually reported to be about 1 in 150 with more precise rates at 20.5 to 38.9 per 10,000 for autism and 53.6 to 116.1 per 10,000 for the entire ASD spectrum (Baird et al., 2006; Gillberg, Cederlund, Lamberg, & Zeijlon, 2006). Reasons for this apparent increase in prevalence have been attributed to the broadening of the autism spectrum and changes in diagnostic criteria (discussed in greater detail below). Wing and Potter (2002) also add several other reasons, including: variability across studies in methods of diagnosis; increased awareness of ASD among professionals and parents; the recognition that ASD can occur in persons with all levels of intellectual functioning, physical disability, or psychiatric disorder; increased development of specialized services for ASD; and a possible true increase in number. Autism Spectrum Disorders: History and Symptoms In the United States, the ASD are officially referred to as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) in the most current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition, Text Revision; DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000). Included among the PDD are Autistic Disorder (commonly referred