UCLA

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been identified as a heterogeneous disorder with multiple syndromes and etiologies (Tordjman et al., 2017). The current literature has yet to identify valid subgroups with key distinct features in the ASD population that can contribute further insights into the disorder. By taking a bottom-up approach in observing trait differences within ASD through the lens of personality profiles, it is possible that homogeneous subgroups may be identified. Thus, the present study aimed to identify possible personality subgroups within school-aged children in the ASD population, and to evaluate potential differences in treatment outcomes between these subgroups as one mechanism for assessing the predictive validity of the subgroups. Data from a CBT treatment multi-site RCT with school-aged children (N=213; ages 7 – 13 years old) were used. Latent profile analysis of the participants’ personality measure scores revealed a 5-class solution that best fit the data. Omnibus ANCOVAs identified significant differences between the five identified personality subgroups on the Child Anxiety Impact Scale (CAIS; Langley et al., 2014) treatment outcome scores, after controlling for pre-treatment scores. Furthermore, specific contrasts revealed that personality subgroup response to CBT treatment for anxiety was also contingent on the type of treatment each individual received. One subgroup (Group 1) responded better to a particular treatment condition (Standard-of-Practice CBT), while another subgroup (Group 2) responded better to the other treatment condition (Adapted CBT). Exploratory analyses and implications are discussed.