Clements Caitlin C, Watkins Marley W, Schultz Robert T, Yerys Benjamin E
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Center for Autism Research, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Psychology Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Autism Res. 2020 Jul;13(7):1184-1194. doi: 10.1002/aur.2285. Epub 2020 Feb 29.
The Differential Abilities Scales, 2nd edition (DAS-II) is frequently used to assess intelligence in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it remains unknown whether the DAS-II measurement model (e.g., factor structure, loadings), which was developed on a normative sample, holds for the autistic population or requires alternative score interpretations. We obtained DAS-II data from 1,316 autistic individuals in the Simons Simplex Consortium and 2,400 individuals in the normative data set. We combined ASD and normative data sets for multigroup confirmatory factor analyses to assess different levels of measurement invariance, or how well the same measurement model fit both data sets: "weak" or metric, "strong" or scalar, and partial scalar if full scalar was not achieved. A weak invariance model showed excellent fit (Confirmatory Fit Index [CFI] > 0.995, Tucker Lewis Index [TLI] > 0.995, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] < 0.025), but a strong invariance model demonstrated a significant deterioration in fit during permutation testing (all p's<0.001), suggesting measurement bias, meaning systematic error when assessing autistic children. Fit improved significantly, and partial scalar invariance was achieved when either of the two spatial subtest (Recall of Designs or Pattern Construction) intercepts was permitted to vary between the ASD and normative groups, pinpointing these subtests as the source of bias. The DAS-II appears to measure verbal and nonverbal-but not spatial-intelligence in autistic children similarly as in normative sample children. These results may be driven by Pattern Construction, which shows higher scores than other subtests in the ASD sample. Clinicians assessing autistic children with the DAS-II should interpret verbal and nonverbal reasoning composite scores over the spatial score or General Composite Ability. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1184-1194. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: The Differential Abilities Scales, 2nd edition (DAS-II) is a popular intelligence quotient (IQ) test for assessing children with autism. This article shows that the DAS-II spatial standardized scores should be interpreted with caution because they hold a different meaning for autistic children. Verbal and nonverbal reasoning scores appear valid and to hold the same meaning for those with and without autism spectrum disorder.
《差异能力量表》第二版（DAS-II）经常用于评估自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）患者的智力。然而，基于常模样本开发的DAS-II测量模型（如因子结构、载荷）是否适用于自闭症群体，或者是否需要进行其他分数解释，目前尚不清楚。我们从西蒙斯单基因队列研究中的1316名自闭症个体以及常模数据集中的2400名个体获取了DAS-II数据。我们将自闭症数据集和常模数据集合并，进行多组验证性因子分析，以评估不同水平的测量不变性，即同一测量模型对两个数据集的拟合程度：“弱”或度量不变性、“强”或标量不变性，如果未实现完全标量不变性，则为部分标量不变性。弱不变性模型显示出极佳的拟合度（验证性拟合指数[CFI]>0.995，塔克-刘易斯指数[TLI]>0.995，近似均方根误差[RMSEA]<0.025），但强不变性模型在排列检验期间拟合度显著下降（所有p值<0.001），表明存在测量偏差，即在评估自闭症儿童时存在系统误差。当允许两个空间子测验（图案回忆或图案构建）中的任何一个截距在自闭症组和常模组之间变化时，拟合度显著提高，并实现了部分标量不变性，从而确定这些子测验为偏差来源。DAS-II似乎在自闭症儿童中测量言语和非言语智力——而非空间智力——的方式与在常模样本儿童中类似。这些结果可能是由图案构建驱动的，图案构建在自闭症样本中的得分高于其他子测验。使用DAS-II评估自闭症儿童的临床医生应解释言语和非言语推理综合分数，而非空间分数或一般综合能力分数。《自闭症研究》2020年，第13卷：1184 - 1194页。© 2020国际自闭症研究协会，威利期刊公司。内容摘要：《差异能力量表》第二版（DAS-II）是一种用于评估自闭症儿童的常用智商（IQ）测试。本文表明，DAS-II空间标准化分数应谨慎解释，因为它们对自闭症儿童具有不同的含义。言语和非言语推理分数似乎有效，并且对于患有和未患有自闭症谱系障碍的儿童具有相同的含义。
