ERIC Number: EJ1423409
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-May
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: EISSN-1461-7005
Changes in the Severity of Autism Symptom Domains Are Related to Mental Health Challenges during Middle Childhood
Einat Waizbard-Bartov; Emilio Ferrer; Brianna Heath; Derek S Andrews; Sally Rogers; Connor M Kerns; Christine Wu Nordahl; Marjorie Solomon; David G Amaral
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v28 n5 p1216-1230 2024
Many autistic children experience changes in core symptom severity across middle childhood, when co-occurring mental health conditions emerge. We evaluated this relationship in 75 autistic children from 6 to 11 years old. Autism symptom severity change was evaluated for total autism symptoms using the autism diagnostic observation schedule calibrated severity score, as well as social-communication symptoms calibrated severity score, and restricted/repetitive behaviors calibrated severity score. Children were grouped based on their symptom severity change patterns. Mental health symptoms (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, disruptive behavior problems) were assessed via parental interview and questionnaire and compared across the groups. Co-occurring mental health symptoms were more strongly associated with change in social-communication symptom or restricted/repetitive behavior severity than with total autism symptom severity. Two relevant groups were identified. The social-communication symptom-increasing-severity-group (21.3%) had elevated and increasing levels of anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and disruptive behavior problems compared with children with stable social-communication symptom severity. The restricted/repetitive behavior-decreasing-severity-group (22.7%) had elevated and increasing levels of anxiety; 94% of these children met criteria for an anxiety disorder. Autism symptom severity change during middle childhood is associated with co-occurring mental health symptoms. Children that increase in social-communication symptom severity are also likely to demonstrate greater psychopathology, while decreases in restricted/repetitive behavior severity are associated with higher levels of anxiety.
Descriptors: Young Children, Early Adolescents, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Mental Health, Multiple Disabilities, Age Differences, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Severity (of Disability), Interpersonal Communication, Anxiety, Behavior Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS); Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: RO1MH128814; RO1MH127046; R01MH106518; R01MH103284; P50HD093079; P50HD103526