Reliability and validity of three commonly used autism scales, the Autism Behavior Checklist (Krug, Arick, & Almond, 1980), the Real Life Rating Scale (Freeman, Ritvo, Yokota, & Ritvo, 1986), and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (Schopler, Reichler, & Renner, 1988), were investigated. Data analyses were based on completed protocols for 24 children or adolescents who met DSM-III-R criteria for pervasive developmental disorders. First, to replicate previous findings, interrater reliability of each of the two direct observational scales was assessed. Second, correlations between pairs of the three scales were calculated. Third, diagnostic classifications based on autism scale cutoff scores were compared to classifications based on DSM-III-R criteria. Fourth, relationships between autism scale scores and adaptive behavior scores were investigated. Results and implications for the use of these scales in the assessment of autistic behaviors are discussed.

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Developed a rating scale to measure body image satisfaction and eating behaviors and disturbances in preadolescent girls and evaluated the psychometric properties of the instrument. The Eating Behaviors and Body Image Test (EBBIT) for preadolescent girls was administered to 291 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade girls to identify the measure's factor structure. Body Image Silhouettes (BIS; Childress, Brewerton, Hodges, & Jarrell, 1993) were also administered, and height and weight measurements were obtained. Although four factors were predicted (maladaptive thoughts about body size, restrictive eating, bingeing, and compensatory behavior for overeating), corresponding to adult criteria for the diagnoses of anorexia and bulimia, factor analysis of the EBBIT suggested only two factors: Body Image Dissatisfaction/Restrictive Eating and Binge Eating Behaviors. Only two compensatory behaviors (exercising to burn off food eaten and skipping meals after overeating) loaded on the scale, and they loaded on the Body Image Dissatisfaction/Restrictive Eating factor. Internal consistency and test-retest reliabilities were adequate to good, and initial validity of the scale was established by using scores on the Body Image Silhouettes, body mass index ratios, age, and race as predictors of EBBIT scores.

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