Measuring the Functional Impact of Behavioral Inflexibility in Children with Autism Using the Behavioral Inflexibility Scale: Clinical Interview (BIS-CI)

J Autism Dev Disord. 2022 Feb;52(2):782-790. doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-04984-z. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Abstract

For individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), behavioral inflexibility can affect multiple domains of functioning and family life. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a clinical interview version of the Behavioral Inflexibility Scale. Trained interviewers conducted interviews with parents of 144 children with ASD and 70 typically developing children (ages: 3-17 years). Using exploratory factor analysis, the Behavioral Inflexibility Scale-Clinical Interview (BIS-CI) was found to be unidimensional. Reliability data indicated the measure was internally consistent (α = 0.80), achieved excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.97) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.87). These findings demonstrate that the BIS-CI is a reliable and valid measure to determine the functional impact of behavioral inflexibility.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Behavioral inflexibility; Measurement; Outcomes; Repetitive behavior.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder*
  • Autistic Disorder*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Humans
  • Parents
  • Reproducibility of Results