A factor analytic study of the Autism Behavior Checklist

The factor structure of the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) (Krug, Arick, & Almond, 1980a, 1980b), a 57-item screening instrument for autism, was examined on a sample of 383 individuals with autism spectrum disorders (i.e., autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, and other autism-like conditions) aged 5-22 years. A five-factor model accounted for 80% of the total variance in the checklist. Thirty-nine of the 57 items had factor loadings of 0.4 or more, with 13 items loading on Factor 1, 11 items on Factor 2, 6 items on Factor 3, 5 items on Factor 4, and 4 items on Factor 5. No support was found for classifying the 57 items into the five subscales proposed by Krug et al. (1980a, 1980b) or for the three-factor solution suggested by Wadden, Bryson, and Rodger (1991).