Objectives: To evaluate the statistical properties of the AQ-Heb with a sample of adults diagnosed with ASC and a matched sample of adults from the general population. In addition, we compared a self vs. parental report on the AQ for a subsample of the two groups.
Methods: The clinical group comprised 41 adults (11 females), diagnosed with ASC by professional clinicians according to DSM-IV criteria. They were matched to a general population group of 123 adults (44 females) on age, sex ratio, and level of education. Participants in both groups filled in the AQ-Heb. In the second part of the study, parents of 20 adults from each group filled in the AQ-Heb with regards to their children.
Results: the clinical group scored significantly higher on the ASC-Heb, compared to the general population group, with no sex differences in either group. The average AQ-Heb score for the clinical group (Mean=27.2, Std.=8.0) was lower than previously reported. A cutoff score of 22 yielded sensitivity of 0.73 and specificity of 0.82. In addition, a significant correlation between age and AQ-Heb score (r=0.32) was found only for the clinical group. Parental reports on the AQ-Heb were significantly higher than self-report for the clinical subsample, but not for the general population subsample. These findings may reflect poor self-awareness amongst some of the young adults diagnosed with ASC. Similar findings have been previously reported with British participants (Golan & Baron-Cohen, 2006).
Conclusions: The AQ-Heb may serve as a good screening instrument for ASC amongst Israeli adults. However, in scores close to the cut-off, especially with younger respondents, additional parental report may be required as part of the screening process.