By Rick Nauert PhD
Associate News Editor
Last updated: 8 Aug 2018
~ 1 min read
The recent “coming out†by Scottish singer Susan Boyle, who found she has high-functioning autism, also known as Asperger syndrome, improves awareness and shows that those with autism spectrum disorders can lead a full life — albeit one with unique challenges.
Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have announced a new screening tool to facilitate the diagnosis of autism in adults.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) can cause major problems in communicating and interacting with other people, and can lead to compulsive routines and interests.
In adults, distinguishing ASD from other psychiatric conditions can be difficult, as their symptoms often overlap or are similar to those in schizophrenia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or severe personality disorders.
Screening methods used today for making a correct diagnosis can sometimes be time-consuming and require considerable expertise.
Research specialists at the institute’s Department of Clinical Neuroscience have, under the leadership of Associate Professor Susanne Bejerot, M.D., Ph.D., refined and simplified an existing American test, RAADS-R (Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised).
The new test is a questionnaire with 14 self-screening questions and is known as the RAADS-14 Screen.
The scale includes three sub-scales that measure mentalization difficulties, social anxiety and sensory oversensitivity — all common symptoms in autism.
The answers are categorized on the basis of whether the symptoms appeared in childhood or developed later in life.
Read More …