International Meeting for Autism Research (London, May 15-17, 2008): THE EFFECT OF AUTISM ON PARENT REPORT: A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF PARENT REPORTED SYPTOMOTOLOGY OF NEUROTYPICAL SIBLINGS OF HIGHER FUNCTIONING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
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THE EFFECT OF AUTISM ON PARENT REPORT: A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF PARENT REPORTED SYPTOMOTOLOGY OF NEUROTYPICAL SIBLINGS OF HIGHER FUNCTIONING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Saturday, May 17, 2008
Champagne Terrace/Bordeaux (Novotel London West)
9:30 AM
D. C. Coman , Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
N. Kojkowski , Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
A. P. Inge , University of Miami, Graduate Student, Coral Gables, FL
N. Zahka , University of Miami, Graduate Student, Coral Gables, FL
C. Schwartz , University of Miami, Graduate Student
C. Hileman , Psychology, Graduate Student, Coral Gables, FL
L. Mohapatra , University of Miami, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
M. Alessandri , Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
H. A. Henderson , Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
P. C. Mundy , UC Davis, Davis, CA
Background:   Currently, there is a myriad of research on the development and the broader phenotype of autism (ASD) in typically developing (TD) siblings of children with ASD.  This research is dependent upon the parent report for diagnostic, developmental, and behavioral information.  Therefore, it is imperative to investigate the possible effects of autism on the parent report of these TD siblings.
Objectives:   To investigate the effects of autism on the parent report of a TD child with an ASD sibling.  Furthermore, to investigate whether the autism sibling group differs significantly than the TD sibling group on self-reports of internalizing symptoms.

Methods:   10 TD children (5 in ASD sibling group, 5 in TD sibling group) were matched on birth order, age (M = 149.4 (20.0)), and IQ (M = 109.0 (8.763)).  Parents completed the SCQ and each participant completed the PAES-III. 

Results:   Preliminary analyses indicate a significant difference between the two sibling groups on the SCQ Communication Domain, F(1) = 10.8, p < 0.05 and the SCQ total score, F(1) = 6.77, p < 0.05.  Parents from the autism sibling group reported significantly lower on the SCQ Communication Domain and the SCQ total score than caregivers of the TD sibling group.  Further analyses indicated a significant difference between the two groups on the PAES-III Anger-In Domain, F(1) = 6.00, p < 0.05.  The autism sibling group reported significantly higher than the TD sibling group.   
Conclusions:   Preliminary analyses suggest that parents of the autism sibling group may under report when asked to complete diagnostic measures for their neurotypical child.  This implies that the presence of autism in one child may affect the way parents report symptomotology in their TD child.  Additionally, siblings of ASD children self-reported greater internalizing symptoms than the TD sibling group.

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