The Importance of Parent-Teacher Informant Discrepancy in Characterizing Autistic Youth: A Replication Latent Profile Analysis

ABSTRACT

Objective

Research about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) supports variation in symptom presentations across settings, and there is a growing literature that explicates how this variability may improve characterization of the autism phenotype. Capitalizing on a well-established literature on informant discrepancy as an index of contextual variability, research suggests that differing parent and teacher perceptions may impact treatment or education-related outcomes. A prior investigation by Lerner and colleagues suggests that parent-teacher discrepancies in ASD symptom ratings define discrete and clinically meaningful subgroups. However, replication in a larger sample is important to support the validity and utility of the subgroups for use in research and practice.

Method

The present paper used latent profile analysis (LPA) to (1) replicate the previous study by Lerner and colleagues in a larger sample of 514 clinic-referred autistic youth (aged 6-18, 83.2% male, 90.4% White, IQ 19-140) and (2) determine if parent-teacher informant discrepancies relate to clinical and functional correlates. We hypothesized that parent-teacher discrepancies in ASD symptom severity ratings would validly characterize ASD subgroups and predict clinical and functional correlates.

Results

The results of the LPA supported a 4-profile solution made up of two parent-teacher agreement groups (high parent-teacher, 21.2%, and low parent-teacher, 34.2%) and two parent-teacher discrepancy groups (high parent-low teacher, 18.1%, and moderate parent-high teacher, 26.5%), replicating findings from Lerner and colleagues. Latent profile membership differentially predicted IQ, age, and educational outcomes of participants.

Conclusions

Unique, clinically useful information about the taxonomy and impact of ASD is obtained by considering informant discrepancies in symptom severity ratings, which underscores the importance of considering contextual variability assessed through multiple informants.

Financial and Material Support

This study was supported, in part, by the Matt and Debra Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders. The funder had no role in study design; the data collection, analysis, and interpretation; manuscript writing; and the decision to submit the article for publication.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr John Pomeroy, M.D., for directing the ASD diagnoses and Carla DeVincent, Ph.D., for coordinating the data collection.

Disclosure Statement

Kenneth D. Gadow is a shareholder in Checkmate Plus, publisher of the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory. Erin Kang and Matthew D. Lerner report no potential conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

Dr. Matthew Lerner received support from National Institute of Mental Health (grant R01MH110585; principal investigator, Dr. Lerner), the Health Resources and Services Administration (grant T73MC42026; principal investigator, Michelle Ballan, Ph.D.) during the course of preparing this manuscript.