Longitudinal stability and Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale-2 predictors of the Childhood Joint Attention Rating Scale.

Lay abstract: This study tested a measure designed to capture social development in childhood and adolescence called the Childhood Joint Attention Rating Scale. This is important to study as most measures of social behavior are for preschool-aged children. We asked parents of 64 autistic children, 27 children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and 36 neurotypical children to fill out a new parent questionnaire designed to assess social skills. Specifically, our measure asks about both strengths and difficulties their child has with sharing experiences, engaging in cooperative efforts with others, and more. It is important to have strengths included in measures, as many autism measures only take difficulties into account. The findings of this study show that this new measure can assess social skill strengths and difficulties in children and adolescents. This measure may be useful in future research to help us understand how strengths and challenges in social behaviors develop or change throughout childhood and adolescence in autistic people.