Clinical Research Directory

Validation of the Girls Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Condition in French Langage

Sponsor: University Hospital, Grenoble

Summary

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are currently diagnosed at a rate of approximately 3 males per 1 female, while evidence suggests the rate may be 1.8 males per 1.2 females. It has been shown that affected women receive an autism diagnosis on average 5 years later than men. This delay is associated with deleterious consequences on the educational, psychological and physical health levels in these women. Currently, there are a number of obstacles that delay or prevent women with ASD from accessing diagnosis and specialized support. These include, in particular, gendered assumptions about how ASD manifests depending on the gender of the person concerned, a tendency for clinicians to attribute female autistic traits to causes other than ASD, measures of standardized ASD assessments that may not be sensitive enough to identify ASD females, and finally a demonstrated greater tendency among ASD females to camouflage or mask autistic traits in order to blend in in social situations. It is in this context that the Girl Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Conditions (GQ-ASC) was developped and validated to address these fundamental gaps in the early identification and measurement of female ASD symptoms. The GQ-ASC is presented as a self-questionnaire with 29 items which assess clinical characteristics specific to the adult female presentation of ASD in the dimensions (five) of imagination and play, camouflage, sensoriality, social situations and interests. To date, several studies have relevantly used the GQ-ASC in populations of adult ASD women, but none in French. The main objective of this online study is therefore to measure the predictive validity of the French version of the Girl Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Conditions (fGQ-ASC) for the diagnosis of ASD in adult women over 18 years of age and speaking French kindergarten. Subjects included in this online study will complete the protocol using any computer, tablet, or cell phone. We will include 400 participants (100 females-ASD, 100 females-nonASD, 100 males-ASD, 100 males-nonASD). This study will validate for the first time a screening tool for the diagnosis of ASD in women of French mother tongue over 18 years of age (the Girls Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Condition French version - fGQ-ASC). This tool will have particularly significant benefits since it will help reduce the diagnostic delay among adult women with ASD in France and accelerate their access to specialized support.

Official title: Validation en Langue française du Girls Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Condition (fGQ-ASC) Chez Des Femmes Adultes

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