Association for Behavior Analysis International

A growing body of research demonstrates that medical and psychiatric concerns can affect the frequency and intensity of problem behavior for individuals with autism (May & Kennedy, 2010; Lowry & Sovner, 1992). This symposium will discuss how behavioral data collection and behavioral assessment may be beneficial in diagnosing and treating underlying conditions. Psychiatric disorders such as Panic Disorder, Anxiety, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can present behavioral symptoms, which can be measured to aid in diagnosis. It can be difficult to accurately diagnose psychiatric disorders in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) due to the challenges inherent with the developmental disability (e.g. communication impairment) and the overlapping clinical presentation of ASD and certain psychiatric conditions. If the behavioral changes caused by these underlying conditions are accurately measured, however, these data may improve clinicians diagnostic capabilities. Thus, analyzing the environmental variables related to the individual's problem behavior will lead to quicker access to correct medical treatment, more appropriate pharmacological interventions for psychiatric conditions, and more robust behavior analytic treatments.

A population based study found that 44% of individuals diagnosed with autism have also been diagnosed with a comorbid emotional disorder (Simonoff et al. 2008). Although more than 70% of individuals with ASD are diagnosed with intellectual disability, the majority of research on psychiatric comorbidities in the ASD population focuses on individuals with average intelligence quotients (Matson & Cervantes 2014). Since most diagnoses are based on structured interviews and self-report questionnaires, the nature of ASD symptoms makes it difficult to accurately diagnose comorbid psychiatric issues, especially when the individual also has an intellectual disability (Lecavalier et al. 2014; Mazefsky et al. 2011). In this study, a synthesized functional analysis (Hanley et al. 2014) involving one control condition and one test condition (i.e. blocking self-restraint plus escape from a disruptive environment) was used to identify the function of combined inappropriate behaviors and also led to a diagnosis of panic disorder in an individual with ASD. In a second participant, daily data collection on target problem behaviors, responding to social initiation, acceptance of food, and compliance led to a diagnosis of PMDD. Data from additional assessments of anxiety disorder and depression will also be presented.