Lin Yunqiang, Wang Chenglong, Chen Rongdi, Zhang Hongxia, Zhao Dingwei
College of Child Development and Education, Zhejiang Normal University, No.1108, Gengwen Road, Ningwei Town, Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou City, 311231, Zhejiang Province, China.
Zhejiang Provincial Special Education Guidance Center, Hangzhou, China.
J Autism Dev Disord. 2025 Mar 19. doi: 10.1007/s10803-025-06796-x.
Identifying a "core deficit" is essential for early detection and intervention in developmental disorders among children. However, the presence of a core deficit within autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to be unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the possibility of the core deficit in autism spectrum disorders. This study evaluated 543 children diagnosed with ASD by using Chinese version of the Psychoeducational Profile-Third Edition (CPEP-3). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to construct single-factor models (assuming the presence of a core deficit) and a multi-factor model (assuming the absence of core deficits) based on the assessed data, and then to compare the fit of the two types of models. Assessments revealed developmental delays and adaptive challenges among the children with ASD. The single-factor model assuming the "motor" domain as the "core deficit" showed a superior fit (CFI = 0.86, AIC = 356.47, ECVI = 0.66) than other single-factor models. The multi-factor model, which assumes no core deficit, provided a better fit and greater predictive accuracy (CFI = 0.87, AIC = 351.94, ECVI = 0.65) than all single-factor models. ASD is characterized by widespread developmental delays and adaptive challenges. While motor impairment may serve as an effective predictor of these issues, it does not fully account for the diverse and complex symptomatology observed in children with ASD. The symptoms in these children likely arise from multiple factors, which are not adequately explained by a single core deficit model.
识别“核心缺陷”对于儿童发育障碍的早期发现和干预至关重要。然而，自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）中核心缺陷的存在仍不明确。因此，本研究的目的是探讨自闭症谱系障碍中核心缺陷的可能性。本研究使用中文版的《心理教育档案第三版》（CPEP - 3）对543名被诊断为ASD的儿童进行了评估。基于评估数据，采用结构方程模型（SEM）构建单因素模型（假设存在核心缺陷）和多因素模型（假设不存在核心缺陷），然后比较这两种模型的拟合度。评估结果显示，ASD儿童存在发育迟缓及适应性挑战。假设“运动”领域为“核心缺陷”的单因素模型比其他单因素模型显示出更好的拟合度（CFI = 0.86，AIC = 356.47，ECVI = 0.66）。假设不存在核心缺陷的多因素模型比所有单因素模型提供了更好的拟合度和更高的预测准确性（CFI = 0.87，AIC = 351.94，ECVI = 0.65）。ASD的特征是广泛的发育迟缓和适应性挑战。虽然运动障碍可能是这些问题的有效预测指标，但它并不能完全解释ASD儿童中观察到的多样且复杂的症状。这些儿童的症状可能由多种因素引起，单一的核心缺陷模型无法充分解释这些因素。
