Autism traits: The importance of “co-morbid” problems for impairment and contact with services. Data from the Bergen Child Study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2016.01.002Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Children screening positive for autism in the population have many co-occurring problems and high impairment.

  • The high impairment found is to a large degree accounted for by co-occurring problems.

  • Co-occurring problems such as learning problems and ADHD predict contact with services.

  • ASD screen positive girls have as many co-occurring problems but are scored as less impaired.

  • ASD screen positive girls have less ADHD and ODD but more eating problems and more compulsive–obsessive problems than boys.

Abstract

Background

Co-occurring problems are common in individuals with clinical autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but their relevance for impairment and contact with health services in ASD is largely unexplored.

Aims

We investigated the extent of co-occurring problems in children with high ASD traits from a total population sample. We explored the contribution of co-occurring problems to impairment and service contact, and whether there were children without co-occurring problems in this group; as proxy for “ASD only”.

Methods and procedures

Children screening positive on the Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) were used as proxy for ASD. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) were operationalised using symptom counts. A parent or teacher report above the 95th percentile counted as “problem” present for other symptom domains.

Outcomes and results

92% of ASSQ high-scorers had a minimum of two other problems. Emotional problems, ADHD symptoms and learning problems were the most commonly reported problems, also predicting impairment and contact with services.

Conclusions and implications

Co-occurring problems were common in ASD screen positive children and contributed strongly to both impairment and to contact with services. Gender differences indicated that female symptoms were perceived as less impairing by parents and teachers.

Keywords

ASSQ
Autism
Autism spectrum disorders
Comorbidity
Impairment
Gender differences

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