Cutoffs, norms, and patterns of comorbid difficulties in children with developmental disabilities on the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits (BISCUIT-Part 2)

Johnny L. Matson, Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. johnmatson@aol.com
Jill C. Fodstad
Sara Mahan

Abstract

Behavioral symptoms of comorbid psychopathology of 651 children 17-37 months of age who were at risk for developmental disabilities were studied using the BISCUIT-Part 2. In Study 1, norms and cutoff scores were established for this new scale on this sample. In Study 2, frequency of response on the 52 items measured was reported. Problems in eating and sleep were the most common with just over 15% of the sample experiencing these difficulties of either a moderate or severe nature. For severe problems, the most commonly reported difficulties were inattention/impulsivity, and tantrums/conduct behavior problems. Implications of this scale and these data for early identification of behavior disorders in atypically developing children are discussed.