Cluster analysis of autism spectrum disorder symptomatology: Qualitatively distinct subtypes or quantitative degrees of severity of a single disorder?

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Bitsika, V., Arnold, W. M., & Sharpley, C. F. (2018). Cluster analysis of autism spectrum disorder symptomatology: Qualitatively distinct subtypes or quantitative degrees of severity of a single disorder? Research in Developmental Disabilities, 76, 65-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2018.03.006

Publication date: 24 Mar 2018 Added to AutiHub: 14 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
3
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 3 (33.3%)
  1. Vicki Bitsika
  2. Wayne M. Arnold *
  3. Christopher F. Sharpley

Abstract

The decision to collapse several related disorders into a single diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) generated significant controversy and debate. There has been mixed evidence as to whether various ASD subtypes are qualitatively distinct or if they exist on a spectrum of symptom severity. The present study conducted a two-step cluster analysis of major ASD symptoms in a sample of 147 young males with ASD aged between 6yr and 18yr with IQ > 70. Results indicated that a two-cluster solution (high and low severity of ASD symptomatology) was reliable and valid. Further, the construct of challenging behaviour was not a necessary component of the two-cluster solution, verifying the new conceptualisation of ASD. Further replication of these findings with other subsets of individuals with ASD is needed.

Bibliography cited by this reference

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Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 19 Sep 2026 01:01.

Cited references
63
With a DOI
46
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
15
0 / 63 (0.0%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
1 / 63 (1.6%)
References with detected author names
62 / 63 (98.4%)
Without detected author names
1
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
14
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
167
From DOI or external metadata
167
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
18 / 167 (10.8%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 149 / 167 (89.2%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
0 / 167 (0.0%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 0 / 18 (0.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 0 / 154 (0.0%).
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