The Autism Impact Measure: A New Tool for Treatment Outcome Measurement

描述（由申请人提供）：自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的行为和药物治疗研究正在迅速增加。然而，治疗效果的证明受到缺乏对ASD核心症状变化敏感的心理测量工具的限制。为了满足这一需求，目前的研究团队开发了一种新的工具，自闭症影响测量（AIM），它使用了一种新的方法，旨在对ASD症状的增量变化敏感。与现有的ASD测量方法不同，AIM使用2周回忆期和5点响应格式评估症状发生的频率，使该测量方法能够在较短的时间内跟踪增量变化。此外，AIM评估ASD症状的影响，允许识别对实际功能影响最大的症状。这种新的双管齐下的方法有可能为治疗结果研究和临床实践提供信息。从我们最初的心理测量学特性的多站点研究的初步结果表明，强大的可靠性和有效性。本研究的目的是：（1）进一步检验结构效度;（2）检验测量对治疗后变化的敏感性;（3）开始开发修改后的教师报告版本。将在全国三个地点收集数据，并建立对变化的敏感性 通过在三种不同的ASD治疗方法中收集治疗前、治疗期间和治疗后的数据。拟议的调查人员团队已准备好进行该项目，并包括一个全国性的合作者网络，该网络具有多站点ASD研究的良好记录以及测量开发和心理测量学方面的专业知识。AIM代表了自闭症领域的一种新的测量方法，与临床护理和研究高度相关。整个联邦卫生机构的一个主要目标是通过开发针对该疾病核心症状的干预措施来改善ASD儿童的生活，并且开发可靠有效的治疗结果措施有可能提高治疗结果研究的速度。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Studies of behavioral and pharmacological treatments for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are increasing at a rapid pace. However, demonstration of treatment effects has been limited by a lack of psychometrically sound measurement tools that are sensitive to change in core symptoms of ASD. In order to meet this need, the current team of researchers has developed a new tool, the Autism Impact Measure (AIM), which uses a novel approach designed to be sensitive to incremental changes in ASD symptoms. Unlike existing ASD measures, the AIM assesses the frequency of symptom occurrence using a 2-week recall period and a 5-point response format, allowing the measure to track incremental change over shorter periods of time. In addition, the AIM assesses the impact of ASD symptoms, allowing for identification of symptoms that have the most significant impact on actual functioning. This novel two-pronged approach has the potential to inform both treatment outcome research and clinical practice. Preliminary results from our initial multi-site study of psychometric properties indicate strong reliability and validity. The aims of the current project are 1) to further examine construct validity, 2) to examine the measure's sensitivity to change following treatment, and 3) to begin development of a modified teacher-report version. Data will be collected across three sites nationwide, and sensitivity to change will be established by collecting data pre-, during, and post-treatment among three different well-established treatments for ASD. The proposed team of investigators is well-poised to conduct this project, and includes a national network of collaborators with a proven track-record of multi-site ASD research and expertise in measure development and psychometrics. The AIM represents a novel measurement approach in the autism field and is highly relevant to clinical care and research. A major goal across federal health agencies is to improve the lives of children with ASD by developing interventions that target core symptoms of the disorder, and the development of a reliable and valid treatment-outcome measure has the potential to enhance the pace of treatment-outcome research.