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Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed globally, but recognition, interpretation and reporting may vary across cultures. To compare autism across cultures it is important to investigate whether the tools used are conceptually equivalent across cultures. This study evaluated the factor structure of the parent-reported Autism Spectrum Quotient Short Form in autistic children from China (n = 327; 3 to 17 years) and the Netherlands (n = 694; 6 to 16 years). Confirmatory factor analysis did not support the two-factor hierarchical model previously identified. Exploratory factor analysis indicated culturally variant factor structures between China and the Netherlands, which may hamper cross-cultural comparisons. Several items loaded onto different factors in the two samples, indicating substantial variation in parent-reported autistic traits between China and the Netherlands.
Details
; Begeer, Sander 1 1 Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (GRID:grid.12380.38) (ISNI:0000 0004 1754 9227)
2 University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Health, Sydney, Australia (GRID:grid.117476.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 7611)
3 King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK (GRID:grid.13097.3c) (ISNI:0000 0001 2322 6764)
4 Nankai University, Department of Social Psychology, Zhou Enlai School of Government, Tianjin, China (GRID:grid.216938.7) (ISNI:0000 0000 9878 7032)
5 Guangxi College for Preschool Education, Department of Special Education, Nanjing, China (GRID:grid.216938.7)