Identifier

etd-05202011-221600

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

A great deal of attention from local, federal, and international communities has been focused on autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). As the prevalence of these disorders rise, researchers continue to investigate various unanswered questions. The goal of this study was to examine the differences across racial/ethnic groups in caregiver ratings of symptoms of children diagnosed with ASDs. Results from such research will help determine whether cultural background can influence the recognition of behaviors indicative of an ASD. Culturally-sensitive clinical practice stemming from the significant findings of this research project can help to reduce the age at which minority children are diagnosed. This study compared two groups each: 1) African American and 2) Caucasian. The study focused on caregiver ratings of infants and toddlers diagnosed with ASDs. The author hypothesized that significant differences will be found in the factor structure of the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits (BISCUIT) Parts 1 and 3. Results suggested that Caucasians and African Americans differed in the underlying factor structure of the measures. Caucasians had a two-factor solution while African Americans had a four-factor solution for the BISCUIT Part 1. For the BISCUIT Part 3, the Caucasian group maintained the three-factor solution of the original measure while African Americans yielded a two-factor solution. Implications, limitations, and future directions for this study were also discussed.

Date

2011

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Matson, Johnny

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.1294

Included in

Psychology Commons

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