title: The Autism Impact Measure (AIM): initial development of a new tool for treatment outcome measurement.
abstract: The current study describes the development and psychometric properties of a new measure targeting sensitivity to change of core autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms, the Autism Impact Measure (AIM). The AIM uses a 2-week recall period with items rated on two corresponding 5-point scales (frequency and impact). Psychometric properties were examined using a large sample (n = 440) of children with ASD enrolled in the Autism Treatment Network. The exploratory factor analysis indicated four factors and resulted in a 25-item questionnaire with excellent overall model fit. Test-retest reliability, cross-informant reliability, and convergent validity with other measures of ASD symptoms and overall functioning were strong. The AIM is a reliable and valid measure of frequency and impact of core ASD symptoms.
authors.affiliation: University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA, kannest@missouri.edu.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kanne
authors.forename: Micah O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Mazurek
authors.forename: Darryn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sikora
authors.forename: Jayne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bellando
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Branum-Martin
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Handen
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.forename: Mary Paige
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Warren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome