Use of Gilliam Asperger's Disorder Scale in Differentiating High and Low Functioning Autism and ADHD

Abstract

Little is known about the validity of Gilliam Asperger's Disorder Scale (GADS), although it is widely used. This study of 199 children with high functioning autism or Asperger's disorder, 195 with low functioning autism, and 83 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) showed high classification accuracy (autism vs. ADHD) for clinicians' GADS Quotients (92%), and somewhat lower accuracy (77%) for parents' Quotients. Both children with high and low functioning autism had clinicians' Quotients (M=99 and 101, respectively) similar to the Asperger's Disorder mean of 100 for the GADS normative sample. Children with high functioning autism scored significantly higher on the cognitive patterns subscale than children with low functioning autism, and the latter had higher scores on the remaining subscales: social interaction, restricted patterns of behavior, and pragmatic skills. Using the clinicians' Quotient and Cognitive Patterns score, 70% of children were correctly identified as having high or low functioning autism or ADHD.

Early Autism Screening: A Comprehensive Review

“…The GADS was developed by [56] an associate professor at the University of Texas, to differentiate children, adolescents, and young adults with Asperger syndrome from those with autism and other developmental disorders. The GADS consists of 32 simple, clear, items designed to carefully align with the latest definition of Asperger disorder.…”

“…Eight additional items are also included to obtain data from parents and caregivers on their child’s behaviour and progress over a three-year period. Later, in 2006, an expanded version of GADS, GADS-2, was introduced with 42 item instruments [56]. Both GADS and GADS-2 are designed to be used on anyone aged from 3 to 22 years, and should be completed by parents, teachers, or any other professional who is familiar with the patient’s behaviour.…”

Adults with intellectual disability and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Clinical characteristics and medication profiles

“…Although ASD and ADHD are distinct disorders according to DSM‐5, there is still a considerable genetic and clinical overlap between them (Rommelse, Franke, Geurts, Hartman, & Buitelaar, ; Rommelse, Geurts, Franke, Buitelaar, & Hartman, ). Mayes et al () reported that children with ADHD did not present with many of the symptoms on the Autism Screening Checklist, and therefore, children with autism can distinguished from children with ADHD (Mayes et al, ). However, children with autism showed some of the symptoms such as inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity in maternal rating scales.…”

Overlap Between Autism Spectrum Disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Searching for Distinctive/Common Clinical Features

“…Although there are some important differences (e.g., core symptom definition and recommended treatment), ASD and ADHD share many similar impairments in different domains that could complicate a differential diagnosis. Researchers have shown an increased interest in the overlapping features between these disorders, including attention deficit [Mayes et al, ; Sturm, Fernell, & Gillberg, ], behavior problems [Mayes et al, ], and difficulty in social skills [de Boo & Prins, ]. Moreover, several studies have shown high rates of ADHD comorbidity in children with ASD [Gadow et al, ; Holtmann, et al, ; Lee & Ousley, ; Simonoff et al, ; Wozniak & Biederman, ; Yoshida & Uchiyama, ].…”