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. 2022 Jan;25(1):29-37.
doi: 10.1080/17518423.2021.1917717. Epub 2021 May 1.

Age of Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Comorbidity in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Geraldine Leader  1 , Amy Hogan  1 , June L Chen  2 , Leanne Maher  1 , Katie Naughton  1 , Nathan O'Rourke  1 , Mia Casburn  1 , Arlene Mannion  1
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Free article

Age of Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Comorbidity in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Geraldine Leader et al. Dev Neurorehabil. 2022 Jan.
Free article

Abstract

Aim: Research is required to study the relationship between age of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis and the presence of comorbidities.

Method: The Gastrointestinal Symptom Inventory, Autism Spectrum Disorder-Comorbid for Children, Behavior Problem Inventory-Short Form and Social Communication Questionnaire were completed by parents of 129 children and adolescents with a diagnosis of ASD.

Results: Results revealed significant relationships between the age of ASD diagnosis, the presence of comorbidities and intellectual disability. Significant correlations were found between the age of ASD diagnosis and self-injurious and stereotyped behavior. Comorbid psychopathology significantly predicted the presence of GI symptoms. In addition, the relationship between comorbid psychopathology and challenging behavior in this study was reported as bi-directional as both comorbidities predicted one another in the sample.

Conclusion: Future research needs to consider the role of comorbidities in relation to ASD diagnosis.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; challenging behavior; comorbid psychopathology; comorbidity; diagnosis; gastrointestinal symptoms.

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