Congruence among clinician- and parent-reported special interests

Special interests are a key facet of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors, which is a core diagnostic criterion of autism spectrum disorder (APA, 2013). Special interests can range from forms of stress relief and better communication, to unusual or intense preoccupations (Spackman et al, 2022). The presence of special interests within youth may have either positive or negative impact youth functioning and outcomes (Nowell et al, 2020). Given the significance in autism diagnosis, it is important to determine whether clinical assessments by clinicians appropriately capture youth’s special interests present in real-world environment (e.g., home) as reported by parents. This project examines the congruence between parent- and clinician-reported special interests within autistic and non-autistic youth. Thirty-nine youth (M=10.14, SD=3.03; 61% male) participated in this study. Twenty-one participants met the criteria for autism spectrum on a 45- to 60-minute clinician-administered autism diagnostic assessment (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 [ADOS-2]; Lord et al., 2012). Parents completed the Repetitive Behavior Scale (RBS-R; Lam & Aman, 2007). On the ADOS-2, special interests were reported in 32% of the total sample and 57% of autistic participants. Results indicated a large correlation between parent and clinician reports of special interest (r=.521, p <.001). A qualitative visualization of special interests was examined to better understand patterns of special interest in this sample, of which specific animals were most common (Figure 1). These findings provide support for the heightened salience of special interest in autistic youth, and the efficacy of clinical assessment of these interests, even in brief semi-structured settings.