title: The broad autism phenotype questionnaire.
abstract: The broad autism phenotype (BAP) is a set of personality and language characteristics that reflect the phenotypic expression of the genetic liability to autism, in non-autistic relatives of autistic individuals. These characteristics are milder but qualitatively similar to the defining features of autism. A new instrument designed to measure the BAP in adults, the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ), was administered to 86 parents of autistic individuals and 64 community control parents. Sensitivity and specificity of the BAPQ for detecting the BAP were high (>70%). Parents of children with autism had significantly higher scores on all three subscales: aloof personality, rigid personality, and pragmatic language. This instrument provides a valid and efficient measure for characterizing the BAP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopmental Disorders Research Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3366, USA.
authors.forename: Robert S E
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Hurley
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Losh
authors.forename: Morgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parlier
authors.forename: J Steven
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Reznick
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piven
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires