ABSTRACT
The identification of the behavioral profile in neurodevelopmental disorders should be supported by valid instruments that assist in the choice and monitoring of intervention and resource allocation. Due to the change in diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the need to develop a questionnaire that would allow for an inventory of the behaviors described arose. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the ASD Typical Behaviours Questionnaire (ASD-TBQ). The content validity of the ASD-TBQ, analyzed by ten experts, was confirmed by the Content Validity Index (CVI), with scores superior to .95 and by agreement proportion, Cohen kappa (.82>k< 1). The ASD-TBQ was applied to 75 children with ASD (9.67±1.29). In the reliability analysis, the typical ASD behaviors and the two domains presented values that attest to the internal consistency (α>.88). For construct validity, Pearson’s correlation coefficients pointed to weak and strong correlations (.26>rho<.92), as expected. The structure of the questionnaire seems to point to a two-dimensional model with two dimensions corresponding to the domains previously established by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5): Social Communication and Social Interaction, and Restricted and Repetitive Patterns of behaviors, interests and activities, explaining 69.5% of the total variance. The results seem to demonstrate that the ASD-TBQ may be an instrument to be taken into account in research and in the use of clinical practice, in order to understand the behavioral profile of children with ASD and plan the intervention that will enable a better adaptive behavior.
KEYWORDS
Social Communication and Social Interaction; Restricted; Repetitive Patterns of behavior; interests and activities; Validity