Brief Report: Social Disability in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Results from Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP) Autism Network Trials

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 43; no. 3; pp. 739 - 746
• Main Authors: Scahill, Lawrence, Hallett, Victoria, Aman, Michael G., McDougle, Christopher J., Eugene Arnold, L., McCracken, James T., Tierney, Elaine, Deng, Yanhong, Dziura, James, Vitiello, Benedetto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.03.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aberrant Behavior Checklist; Adolescent; Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use; Assignment; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Behavior Problems; Behavior Rating Scales; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Brief Report; Check Lists; Child; Child and School Psychology; Child clinical studies; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive - drug therapy; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive - psychology; Child, Preschool; Comparative Analysis; Developmental disorders; Disability; Double-Blind Method; Drug Use; Drugs; Effect Size; Humans; Infantile autism; Measures; Medical sciences; Neuropharmacology; Neurosciences; Parenthood education; Pediatrics; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Pharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psycholeptics: tranquillizer, neuroleptic; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Public Health; Research Design; Research units; Risperidone; Risperidone - therapeutic use; Social Behavior; Social Desirability; Social Perception; Treatment Outcome; Withdrawal (Psychology); Social withdrawal; Autism; Social disability; Aberrant Behavior Checklist; Risperidone; Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP) Autism Network; Pediatrics; Atypical antipsychotic; Questionnaire; Neuroleptic; Psychotropic; Pharmacotherapy; Aberrant Behavior Checklist Aman Singh; Developmental disorder; Serotonine receptor; Disability; Withdrawal behavior; Child; Benzisoxazole derivatives; Human; Handicap; Dopamine antagonist; Serotonin antagonist; Psychometrics; Autism spectrum disorder; Pervasive developmental disorder; D2 Dopamine receptor; Treatment; Social isolation; Psychopharmacology
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-012-1689-3

There is growing interest in measuring social disability as a core element of autism spectrum disorders in medication trials. We conducted a secondary analysis on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist Social Withdrawal subscale using data from two federally-funded, multi-site, randomized trials with risperidone. Study 1 included 52 subjects assigned to placebo and 49 subjects to risperidone under double-blind conditions. Study 2 included 49 subjects assigned to risperidone only and 75 subjects assigned to risperidone plus parent training. After 8 weeks of treatment, all active treatments were superior to placebo (effect sizes ranging from 0.42 to 0.65). The findings suggest that the Social Withdrawal subscale may be a useful measure of social disability in acute treatment trials.