Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders compared to typically developing controls on the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2)

As the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2) is often used to aid in diagnosis it is important to discern how children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) score on the BASC-2 compared to typically developing controls. This study compared scores of typically developing children and adolescents to those diagnosed with ASD on all subscales and composites of the BASC-2. Except for the aggression subscale, anxiety subscale, and the internalizing composite, the ASD group scored significantly higher on all clinical subscales and composites (i.e., hyperactivity, conduct problems, externalizing composite, depression, atypicality, withdrawal, attention problems, and the Behavioral Symptoms Index). However, the ASD group scored significantly lower on the adaptability composite and all subscales comprising this composite.