Project Description:
Problems with emotional control and emotional distress in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are common and have a significant negative impact on daily life. Treatment options for these problems are limited, in part because we lack validated measures of emotion dysregulation for ASD. Most measures of emotional concerns use language that does not apply to individuals with ASD who are non-verbal or minimally verbal (e.g., complains about, worries about) and they fail to cover the full range of presenting symptoms. The overall objective of this project is to develop and validate the Emotion Dysregulation Inventory (EDI), a new, sensitive outcome measure suitable for use across the spectrum of ASD severity and verbal ability. Although the primary goal is related to measure development, this study will also produce the largest existing data set of symptoms of emotion dysregulation in ASD, which will provide an opportunity to better understand emotion dysregulation in ASD. Improved understanding of emotion dysregulation in ASD will clarify treatment needs, allowing for more refined clinical trials. In addition, better measurement of emotion profiles may enhance the capabilities of genetic and neuroimaging research by capturing variability within ASD. Finally, because the EDI is a dimensional measure of emotional domains that are also of interest in non-ASD fields of developmental psychopathology, there will be a new opportunity for studies across populations.
Data is being collected in collaboration with the Autism Inpatient Collection (AIC) project and Interactive Autism Network (IAN).
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN
