TY - JOUR
T1 - Co-occurring conditions and change in diagnosis in autism spectrum disorders
AU - Close, Heather A.
AU - Lee, Li Ching
AU - Kaufmann, Christopher N.
AU - Zimmerman, Andrew W.
PY - 2012/2
Y1 - 2012/2
N2 - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate descriptive characteristics and co-occurring neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions in young children, children, and adolescents with a current and consistent or past but not current (PBNC) diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and how such characteristics and conditions may engender a change in diagnosis of an ASD. METHODS: Cross-sectional data of 1366 children with a parent-reported current or PBNC ASD diagnosis were obtained from the National Survey of Children's Health 2007 data set across 3 developmental stages: young children (aged 3-5 years), children (aged 6-11 years), and adolescents (aged 12-17 years). Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine demographic characteristics and co-occurring conditions that differentiate the groups with a current ASD from groups with a PBNC ASD. RESULTS: Results indicated the co-occurring conditions that distinguish groups currently diagnosed with an ASD from groups with a PBNC ASD diagnosis. In young children, current moderate/severe learning disability, and current moderate/severe developmental delay; in children, past speech problem, current moderate/severe anxiety, and past hearing problem; and in adolescents, current moderate/severe speech problem, current mild seizure/epilepsy, and past hearing problem. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the presence of cooccurring psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions are associated with a change in ASD diagnosis. Questions remain as to whether changes in diagnosis of an ASD are due to true etiologic differences or shifts in diagnostic determination.
AB - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate descriptive characteristics and co-occurring neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions in young children, children, and adolescents with a current and consistent or past but not current (PBNC) diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and how such characteristics and conditions may engender a change in diagnosis of an ASD. METHODS: Cross-sectional data of 1366 children with a parent-reported current or PBNC ASD diagnosis were obtained from the National Survey of Children's Health 2007 data set across 3 developmental stages: young children (aged 3-5 years), children (aged 6-11 years), and adolescents (aged 12-17 years). Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine demographic characteristics and co-occurring conditions that differentiate the groups with a current ASD from groups with a PBNC ASD. RESULTS: Results indicated the co-occurring conditions that distinguish groups currently diagnosed with an ASD from groups with a PBNC ASD diagnosis. In young children, current moderate/severe learning disability, and current moderate/severe developmental delay; in children, past speech problem, current moderate/severe anxiety, and past hearing problem; and in adolescents, current moderate/severe speech problem, current mild seizure/epilepsy, and past hearing problem. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the presence of cooccurring psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions are associated with a change in ASD diagnosis. Questions remain as to whether changes in diagnosis of an ASD are due to true etiologic differences or shifts in diagnostic determination.
KW - Autism spectrum disorder
KW - Co-occurring conditions
KW - Diagnosis change
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U2 - 10.1542/peds.2011-1717
DO - 10.1542/peds.2011-1717
M3 - Article
C2 - 22271695
AN - SCOPUS:84856514948
SN - 0031-4005
VL - 129
SP - e305-e316
JO - Pediatrics
JF - Pediatrics
IS - 2
ER -