Is it time to view autism as a psychological trait similar to intelligence? Some researchers say yes.
If true, that most Americans have some “autistic traits” and a few of us are very low or very high in “autistic traits”. If autism is normally distributed — in the shape of a bell curve — then it’s time that standardized tests for measuring autism are developed similar to how intelligence is measured.
If true, then the supposed “gold standard” for assessment of autism in toddlers may not be so golden after all. Why?
The ADOS developed by Lord et al measures autistic spectrum traits the way a thermometer or a ruler does. The difference between 2 and 3 is the same as between 12 and 13. But if autism is normally distributed then different measures — with a different kind of “ruler” need to be used.
Background to how intelligence (I.Q.) is measured:
The intelligence of 2 out of 3 persons in the U.S.lies between 85 and 115. Only 2 or so persons have an I.Q. of 70 or lower. Likewise, only 2 or so have an I.Q. of 130 or higher.
In Feb., 2008, Carrie Allison et al published a paper: The Q-Chat: Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers. A normally distributed measure of autistic traits.
