Developmental Changes of Autistic Symptoms (original) (raw)
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Australasian Journal of Early Childhood
The aim of the study reported here was to establish whether the behavioural profiles of children with high-functioning autism (HFA) come to approximate the profile of children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) over time. The parents of 21 children with HFA and 19 children with AS, all aged between five and 11 years and matched on chronological and mental age, were interviewed using the Autism Behaviour Checklist. The parents reported on their child's current behavioural presentation as well as on their early (childhood) behaviours. The hypothesis that the children with HFA would show more severe symptomatology in comparison to the children with AS on their early behavioural scores was supported. Moreover, the two groups were indistinguishable on their current behavioural profiles, providing support for Szatmari's (2000a; 2000b) developmental model of autism and AS. The lack of qualitative differences in the behavioural profiles between the two groups during early and middle childh...
Course of Behavioral Change in Autism: A Retrospective Study of High-IQ Adolescents and Adults
Journal of The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1996
Objective: The course of behavioral change in autistic behaviors has received little attention in previous research but is a potential ly important parameter for study in autism. Method: Autistic behaviors were systematically examined in 38 high-IQ adolescent and adult autistic individuals at their current age (13 through 28 years) and retrospectively at age 5 years using a standardiz ed interview for autism. Results: Significant change over time in autistic behaviors, generally in the direction of improvement, was detected. The proportion of subjects showing improvement in communication and social behaviors was found to be significantly higher than the proportion showing improvement in ritualistic/ repetitive behaviors. Five of 38 subjects who met DSM-/V criteria for autistic disorder at age 5 years no longer met criteria at their current age, although all five continued to have substantial impairment. Conclusions: The study of patterns of behavioral change over time in autism has practical implications for both diagnosis and prognosis as well as potential importance in defining biologically meaningful subgroups and clarifying fundamental mechanisms underlying this disorder.
Comparison of Clinical Symptoms in Autism and Asperger's Disorder
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 1996
Objective: To determine what clinical symptoms clinicians have been using to distinguish between Asperger's disorder (AsD) and autistic disorder (AD). Method: Parents of children and adolescents with high-functioning AD (n = 48) and
Psychology in the Schools, 2012
We examined the interrelationships among symptoms related to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) using a large representative sample and clinical groups of children aged 6 to 11 and youth aged 12 to 18 years rated by parents (N = 1,881) or teachers (N = 2,171). The samples included individuals from the United States and Canada from the standardization and validity studies for the Autism Spectrum Rating Scales. A three-factor solution comprising Social/Communication, Unusual Behaviors, and Self-Regulation provided the best fit to the data and was replicated across parent and teacher ratings. High coefficients of congruence across sexes, raters, ethnic groups, and age groups and for clinical groups were obtained. Implications for understanding the symptoms related to ASD and their use in practice are provided.
Diagnosis “Autism” – from Kanner and Asperger to DSM-5
Journal of Intellectual Disability - Diagnosis and Treatment, 2014
The authors make a synthesized overview of the evolution of the understanding of autism in historical context and a critical analysis of the development of diagnostic criteria in the spirit of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Based on personal research and extensive clinical experience they put forward a number of debatable issues and own views about the nature of autistic disorder by outlining the trends and directions for future research. Discussed is the issue of "core" and "additional" symptoms of autism and the need for comparison of categorical and dimensional data when constructing empirical studies for the autistic population. The article contains reflections on the underlying impairment which, according to the authors, is a disturbance in the processing and integration of the incoming information, especially at the level of filtration of significant and insignificant stimuli and their linking into a mental sequence appearing at different levels and with varying degree of severity. Noted is the importance of the detailed assessment of mental functioning for early diagnosis and individualized targeting of the therapeutic efforts. In this regard is emphasized the need to search for a new paradigm in the methodology of future research on autism that would make possible the comparison of interdisciplinary results and identification of connections between the relevant scientific achievements. Thus it will be possible to identify trends that will bring us closer to revealing the etiology, perhaps will have an impact on the criteria for diagnosis and on the overall construction of future therapeutic strategies.
Clinical and Developmental Profile of Children with Autism
Indian Journal of Child Health, 2017
Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in reciprocal social interaction as well as communication and a restrictive repertoire of activities. Indian studies on this subject have been few. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess clinical characteristics of children with ASD in Indian scenario. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational survey in special schools involving diagnosed autistic children, and their parents using a pretested standardized questionnaire based on diagnostic and statistical manual IV criteria. Results: Males (n=25) outnumbered the females (n=11). Only 6 cases (16.7%) were diagnosed as autistic before 3 years of age. 39% cases were detected between ages of 3 and 4.11 years. 22% cases were diagnosed in each of 5-6.11 years and 7 years and above category. The must watch behavior characteristics that our study found were impaired eye to eye gaze, impaired peer relationships, poor facial expressions, language delay, lack of pretend play, and inflexible adherence to rituals. Conclusion: Clinicians should be educated and encouraged to make timely diagnosis of ASD so as to initiate early interventions for these children.
Autism Spectrum Disorders in Young Children
Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 2009
The focus of this review is on the early identification, assessment, and treatment of young children (0-5 years of age) with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). ASDs are diagnosed in approximately 1 out of 150 children in the United States, 1,2 and given the increasing evidence that early intervention improves outcomes for children with ASD, there is an urgent need to enhance early detection and intervention efforts. 3 Retrospective parent reports, 4,5 early home videotapes, 6,7 and newer prospective studies of younger siblings of children with ASD who are at elevated risk 8,9 provide converging evidence that the age at onset for the majority of cases of ASD is the second year of life. We first review the early signs and symptoms of ASD, then describe some of the measures that can be employed for screening and diagnosis, discuss the family context with respect to both adaptation to diagnosis and treatment, and conclude with a brief review of interventions for young children with ASD. Traditionally, the term pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) has been employed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR), referring to autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, PDD not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett Disorder. 10 In this article, we use the term ASDs to refer to the diagnostic category of PDDs. Specifically, we focus on the diagnosis of autistic disorder (AD) and PDDNOS, as the majority of research on young children has focused on these conditions. Our preference for the term ASD reflects recognition that along with restrictive interests and repetitive behaviors, the primary developmental perturbations that characterize ASDs are social and communicative in nature. Moreover, the term ASD reflects an understanding that symptoms and behaviors in these three domains are best quantified as continuous phenomena. 11 Although these behaviors lie on a continuum in the general population, individuals with ASD are characterized by severe and pervasive impairments in reciprocal social interaction and communication and exhibit stereotyped behaviors, as well as restricted interests, and activities. To meet full criteria for a DSM-IV diagnosis of AD, a child must demonstrate the following symptoms (Table 1): 1. Qualitative impairment in social interaction as manifested by two of the following: impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors (eg, eye gaze, facial expression, body postures), failure to develop peer relationships, lack of sharing of enjoyment, or lack of social or emotional reciprocity.