Validity of the multidimensional assessment profile of disruptive behavior in autistic toddlers.

Objective: Early measurement of atypical disruptive behavior within autistic children is critical for later referrals to behavioral screenings, diagnoses, and services. Disruptive behavior in autistic toddlers is often measured using a categorical approach and identifies the presence or absence of behavior. In contrast, dimensional approaches evaluate behavior on a spectrum of typical to atypical by measuring the clinical salience of disruptive behavior. We sought to assess the validity of the Infant/Toddler version of the multidimensional assessment profile of disruptive behavior (MAP-DB-IT), a dimensional approach measurement tool, in a sample of autistic toddlers. Methods: Autistic toddlers ( Results: The MAP-DB-IT demonstrated excellent internal consistency across all four subdomains. We evaluated convergent validity and found positive correlations between the (a) ITSEA externalizing and MAP-DB-IT aggression domain, (b) ITSEA externalizing and MAP-DB-IT aggression with siblings domain, and (c) ITSEA dysregulation and MAP-DB-IT temper loss domain. Conclusion: The MAP-DB-IT is a valid measurement tool for disruptive behavior in autistic toddlers. Clinicians should consider the use of the MAP-DB-IT for young autistic clients presenting with disruptive behavior to (a) discriminate between early developmentally appropriate tantrums from clinically salient dysregulation, and (b) refer to additional behavioral evaluations and services.