Conclusions We found patchy evidence on reliability and validity , for only a few of the tools used to measure behaviour problems in young children with ASD .
Background Behaviour problems are common in young children with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) .
There are many different tools used to measure behavior problems but little is known about their validity for the population .
Objectives To evaluate the measurement properties of behaviour problems tools  used in evaluation of intervention or observational research studies with children with ASD up to the age of six years .
Parent-defined target symptoms respond to risperidone in RUPP autism study: customer approach to clinical trials.
OBJECTIVE A consumer-oriented efficacy assessment in clinical trials should measure changes in chief complaint and consumer request ( symptoms of most concern to patient/caregiver ) , which may be diluted in change scores of multisymptom scales . METHOD In the Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology ( RUPP ) Autism Network 8-week double-blind trial of risperidone versus placebo , the chief concerns of parents were collected at 0 , 4 , and 8 weeks ( endpoint ) , in addition to st and ardized primary measures . Blinded clinical judges rated change from baseline to 4 and 8 weeks on a 9-point scale ( 1 = normalized , 5 = unchanged , 9 = disastrous ) ; 94 participants had usable data . RESULTS The most common symptoms identified by parents were tantrums , aggression , and hyperactivity . Interrater reliability was excellent . Mean ratings at endpoint were 2.8 + /- 1.2 on risperidone and 4.5 + /- 1.3 on placebo ( p < .001 ) . Ratings were collinear with Clinical Global Impression-Improvement and Aberrant Behavior Checklist Irritability subscale ( primary dimensional measure ) . Effect size d was 1.4 , compared to 1.2 on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist Irritability subscale . Effect sizes varied twofold by symptom category , largest for self-injury ( 2.11 ) and tantrums ( 1.95 ) . CONCLUSIONS Risperidone was superior to placebo in reducing symptoms of most concern to parents of autistic children with irritable behavior .  Rating individualized participant-chosen target symptoms seems a reliable , sensitive , efficient , and consumer-friendly way to assess treatment effect and might have clinical application
Conclusions We found patchy evidence on reliability and validity , for only a few of the tools used to measure behaviour problems in young children with ASD .
Background Behaviour problems are common in young children with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) .
There are many different tools used to measure behavior problems but little is known about their validity for the population .
Objectives To evaluate the measurement properties of behaviour problems tools  used in evaluation of intervention or observational research studies with children with ASD up to the age of six years .