A Critical Review of Caregiver Report Measures of Autistic Traits in Children (4 to 12 years): Considerations for Research and Clinical Practice
Abstract
Background: Selecting an appropriate questionnaire to measure autistic traits in children for research or clinical practice requires considering several factors. These include the validity of the questionnaire’s structure, the questionnaire’s sensitivity and specificity, the extent to which autistic traits are represented (e.g., whether all diagnostic sub-criteria are adequately represented), the clarity and respectfulness of item wording, and inclusive research practices used during questionnaire development. To provide clinicians and researchers information on the most sensitive, specific, and contemporary measures for identifying and assessing autistic traits, we conducted a review of existing caregiver-report questionnaires for measuring autistic traits in children aged 4-12 years. Method: Ten questionnaires were identified for inclusion. For each included questionnaire, targeted searches were conducted in the form of forward citation searches to identify peer-reviewed studies reporting on the instrument’s development or subsequent psychometric evaluation (factor or component analysis, sensitivity, specificity). Results: Overall, there was marked variability in the extent to which questionnaires assess autistic traits across diagnostic sub-criteria, as well as in their sensitivity and specificity for differentiating autism from various other groups. Several questionnaires lacked psychometric support for their proposed structure. Respectfulness and clarity of item wording could be improved in most questionnaires. Autism community input during questionnaire development was typically limited or absent. Of note, the recently developed Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire stood out as a promising freely available measure. Discussion: Developers of new questionnaires should use inclusive research practices, write items using clear and respectful language, ensure adequate psychometric properties, and aim to include items from all diagnostic sub-criteria.
Related
- Testing the psychometric properties of depression and social-emotional functioning measures with autistic adolescents and their parents
- Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), an AAST Critical Care Committee Consensus Guideline: expectations, mental health impairments, financial hardship, and caregiver burden in PICS.
- A systematic review of observational and report-based measures of caregiver sensitivity: A Latin American perspective.
- Caregiver-Related Factors Associated with HIV Status Disclosure and Treatment-Related Indicators Among Children and Adolescents Receiving ART in Rural Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Feasibility of Patient- and Caregiver-Reported Outcome Measures in Incurable Cancer: Implications for Early Palliative Care Communication
BibTeX
@misc{horsburgh2026critical,
title = {{A Critical Review of Caregiver Report Measures of Autistic Traits in Children (4 to 12 years): Considerations for Research and Clinical Practice}},
author = {Georgia Horsburgh and Iliana Magiati and Murray Maybery and Lauren J Taylor and Serena J Cribb and Michael English},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/na3e9_v1},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/na3e9_v1/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A Critical Review of Caregiver Report Measures of Autistic Traits in Children (4 to 12 years): Considerations for Research and Clinical Practice
AU - Georgia Horsburgh
AU - Iliana Magiati
AU - Murray Maybery
AU - Lauren J Taylor
AU - Serena J Cribb
AU - Michael English
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/na3e9_v1
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/na3e9_v1/
AB - Background: Selecting an appropriate questionnaire to measure autistic traits in children for research or clinical practice requires considering several factors. These include the validity of the questionnaire’s structure, the questionnaire’s sensitivity and specificity, the extent to which autistic traits are represented (e.g., whether all diagnostic sub-criteria are adequately represented), the clarity and respectfulness of item wording, and inclusive research practices used during questionnaire development. To provide clinicians and researchers information on the most sensitive, specific, and contemporary measures for identifying and assessing autistic traits, we conducted a review of existing caregiver-report questionnaires for measuring autistic traits in children aged 4-12 years. Method: Ten questionnaires were identified for inclusion. For each included questionnaire, targeted searches were conducted in the form of forward citation searches to identify peer-reviewed studies reporting on the instrument’s development or subsequent psychometric evaluation (factor or component analysis, sensitivity, specificity). Results: Overall, there was marked variability in the extent to which questionnaires assess autistic traits across diagnostic sub-criteria, as well as in their sensitivity and specificity for differentiating autism from various other groups. Several questionnaires lacked psychometric support for their proposed structure. Respectfulness and clarity of item wording could be improved in most questionnaires. Autism community input during questionnaire development was typically limited or absent. Of note, the recently developed Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire stood out as a promising freely available measure. Discussion: Developers of new questionnaires should use inclusive research practices, write items using clear and respectful language, ensure adequate psychometric properties, and aim to include items from all diagnostic sub-criteria.
ER -