Broad Autism Phenotype Traits in Parents of Children with Language Impairments: A Comparative Study

Introduction: The broad autism phenotype (BAP) comprises milder language and cognitive deficits seen in the nonautistic relatives of individuals with autism. BAP represents the range of individuals with a higher number of these characteristics than average but a lower number than would point to a diagnosis of autism. The Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) is one of the efficient and reliable tools to explore and measure BAP traits, namely, aloofness, pragmatic language, and rigid personality, which represent a few of the diagnostic features of autism. Against the background of positive familial history and common causes across the developmental disorders, this study aimed to compare BAP traits in the parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specific language impairment (SLI), and social communication disorder (SCD) by means of the BAPQ. Methods: A total of 120 parents (60 mothers and 60 fathers) of children with ASD, SCD, and SLI participated in the study. All mothers filled in the self-report version and fathers filled in the informant version of BAPQ simultaneously in the communication intervention setting. Results: Obtained data was analyzed with the t test and ANOVA to compare self-ratings, informant ratings, and BAPQ scores across groups. The results of the study revealed no statistically significant difference for the overall BAPQ scores (except on the Pragmatic Language subscale). Furthermore, mothers in all 3 groups presented with BAP traits, with pragmatic language deficits being common. These observations point towards an overlap of BAP traits in the mothers of children with language disorders. Conclusion: These findings indicate the value of a detailed assessment of BAP in parents of children with developmental disorders.