Psychometric Properties of the Parent-Rated Anxiety Scale in Spanish Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The aim of this study is to analyze the psychometric properties of the Parent-Rated Anxiety Scale (PRAS-ASD). A psychometric validation study of the PRAS-ASD was conducted with a sample of 221 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a mean age of 8.60 years and a standard deviation of 4.76 years. A one-factor model was found to fit the data well. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were high. Significant correlations were obtained between anxiety and related constructs. No significant gender differences were observed in the PRAS-ASD. Differences in anxiety levels were observed between ASD groups with varying degrees of intellectual disability (ID). The PRAS-ASD is a reliable and valid scale for measuring anxiety in the Spanish population with ASD. Future studies should expand the sample, further study anxiety, and evaluate measurement invariance according to age, sex, and severity of ASD and ID.