title: Design and Cohort Characteristics of the Social Spectrum Study: A Multicenter Study of the Autism Spectrum Among Clinically Referred Children.
abstract: This paper provides an overview of the design and cohort characteristics of the Social Spectrum Study: a clinical cohort study that used a two-phase sampling design to identify children at risk for ASD. After screening 1281 children aged 2.5-10 years who had been consecutively referred to one of six mental health services in the Netherlands, children who screened positive for ASD (n = 428) and a random selection of screen negatives (n = 240) were invited to participate in diagnostic assessments and questionnaires regarding the child, family and society. A 1-year follow-up was also conducted. Results from this study may contribute to knowledge of the identification and characterization of children with ASD, family processes, and the impact of ASD on the family and society.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Wytemaweg 8, P.O. Box 2060, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Yulius, Organization for Mental Health, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jorieke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duvekot
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Wytemaweg 8, P.O. Box 2060, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Leontine W Ten
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Hoopen
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Wytemaweg 8, P.O. Box 2060, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Yulius, Organization for Mental Health, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Geerte
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Slappendel
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Wytemaweg 8, P.O. Box 2060, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Ende
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Wytemaweg 8, P.O. Box 2060, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Verhulst
authors.affiliation: Yulius, Organization for Mental Health, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Sijde
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Wytemaweg 8, P.O. Box 2060, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. k.greaves-lord@erasmusmc.nl.|Yulius, Organization for Mental Health, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. k.greaves-lord@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Kirstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Greaves-Lord
mesh_terms: D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Attrition; Autism spectrum disorder; Clinical cohort; Design; Longitudinal; Multicenter