Development and psychometric validation of a diagnostic method for autism spectrum disorder symptoms in children aged 5–7 years

 
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Abstract

Research on the factor structure of autism symptoms in childhood is particularly valuable as it helps identify how symptoms change with age and informs the development of more effective diagnostic and intervention methods. In an earlier study of 374 children aged 5–6 with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), an 8-factor structure encompassing 75 ASD symptoms was identified. These factors include: 1) empathy impairments, 2) speech understanding, 3) emotional dysregulation, 4) persistence on sameness, 5) hyperactivity/disinhibition, 6) sensory disintegration, 7) motor impairments, and 8) echolalia. In the present study, 255 children (157 with ASD, 50 with developmental delay, and 48 typically developing) were assessed. Using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis, the 8-factor structure was validated in a sample of 157 children aged 7 years. The discriminant validity of the factors was supported by their average variance extracted and the ratio of correlations between factors and items. Each factor proved to be a reliable scale based on internal consistency. Discriminant analysis revealed that models incorporating these 8 factors could distinguish ASD from non-ASD children with an accuracy of 88.2–92% across different age groups. An 8-factor discriminant model for the autism symptom scale was developed, showing 91.2% accuracy in distinguishing ASD from non-ASD groups, with 92.7% sensitivity and 87.7% specificity. Test norms for the scale were created, allowing for quick assessment of ASD risk in children aged 5–7. When a high ASD risk is identified, the 8 scales help determine which symptom groups are most prominent.

General Information

Keywords: psychodiagnosis, autism spectrum disorders, psychometric validation, mental disorders, childhood development, markers of ASD, factor structure of autism

Journal rubric: Empirical and Experimental Research

Article type: scientific article

Funding. The study was supported by the grant of the Russian Science Foundation, project no. 23-18-00155 “Study of predictive indicators of autism spectrum disorders in preschool children”; https://www.rscf.ru/en/project/23-18-00155

Published

For citation: Nasledov, A.D., Tkacheva, L.O., Miroshnikov, S.A., Pakhomova, E.A., Zashchirinskaia, O.V. (2025). Development and psychometric validation of a diagnostic method for autism spectrum disorder symptoms in children aged 5–7 years. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Psychology, 15(2), 218–239. (In Russ.). URL: https://psyjournals.ru/en/journals/vspu_psychology/archive/2025_n2/Nasledov_et_al (viewed: 05.12.2025)

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Information About the Authors

Andrey D. Nasledov, Candidate of Science (Psychology), Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Pedagogy and Pedagogical Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4687-3184, e-mail: andrey.nasledov@gmail.com

Lubov O. Tkacheva, Doctor of Psychology, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Pedagogy and Pedagogical Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9822-1914, e-mail: l.tkacheva@spbu.ru

Sergey A. Miroshnikov, Candidate of Science (Psychology), Saint Petersburg State University, Head of the Laboratory of psychological and pedagogical diagnostics, LLC “Longitude”, St.Petersburg, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7079-0624, e-mail: sergeyamir@gmail.com

Ekaterina A. Pakhomova, graduate student, Research Engineer, Faculty of Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2714-8885, e-mail: st096418@student.spbu.ru

Oksana V. Zashchirinskaia, Doctor of Psychology, Professor, Professor of the Department of Pedagogy and Educational Psychology of the Faculty of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Head of the Department of Psychotraumatology, Christian Academy of the Humanities named after F. Dostoevsky, Associate professor, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Care, Herzen State Pedagogical University, St.Petersburg, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2666-3529, e-mail: zaoks@mail.ru

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