Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms Among Children Enrolled in the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED)

Abstract

This study examined the phenotypic profiles of children aged 30–68 months in the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED). Children classified as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delay (DD) with ASD symptoms, DD without ASD symptoms, and population comparison (POP) differed significantly from each other on cognitive, adaptive, behavioral, and social functioning and the presence of parent-reported conditions. Children with ASD and DD with ASD symptoms had mild to severe ASD risk on several measures compared to children with other DD and POP who had little ASD risk across measures. We conclude that children in SEED have varying degrees of ASD impairment and associated deficits. SEED thus provides a valuable sample to explore ASD phenotypes and inform risk factor analyses.

Prevalence of Co-occurring Medical and Behavioral Conditions/Symptoms Among 4- and 8-Year-Old Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Selected Areas of the United States in 2010

“…We found that more than 95% of children with ASD, independent of their age group, had at least one co-occurring condition/symptom identified in their records. However, the proportion found in our study was higher compared to some of these studies (Levy et al 2010; Simonoff et al 2008; Wiggins et al 2015). This may be due to a number of reasons, including, the type and number of co-occurring conditions/symptoms assessed and whether some of these co-occurring conditions/symptoms were combined in larger categories.…”

“…In line with other studies (Gurney et al 2006; Levy et al 2010; Lundstrom et al 2015; Nicholas et al 2009; Simonoff et al 2008; Supekar et al 2017; Wiggins et al 2015), we documented a high prevalence of co-occurring conditions/symptoms in those with ASD. As indicated by others (e.g., Levy et al 2010; Lundstrom et al 2015) and confirmed in our study, only a small proportion of children with ASD did not have any co-occurring condition/symptom.…”

“…While the reasons behind this high prevalence are still unclear, their presence contributes to the ASD phenotype heterogeneity, which is a potential barrier to a timely diagnosis of ASD and a challenge for studying ASD etiology because of difficulties in defining a single early ASD behavioral marker (Georgiades et al 2013; Waterhouse et al 2016). Further, like others (Levy et al 2010; Lundstrom et al 2015; Simonoff et al 2008; Wiggins et al 2015), we confirmed the clustering of co-occurring conditions in the same child. We found that more than 95% of children with ASD, independent of their age group, had at least one co-occurring condition/symptom identified in their records.…”

“…A number of reasons, including developmental maturation with age, similarities between some of these co-occurring conditions/symptoms and the core symptoms of ASD in young children impeding their recognition, and fewer opportunities for evaluation by clinicians in 4-year-olds (specifically because they are not at school yet) may contribute to the observed differences (Christensen et al 2016). Since co-occurring conditions/symptoms were still documented even in the younger age group (Hartley et al 2008; Nicholas et al 2009; Salazar et al 2015; Wiggins et al 2015), this has implications for the clinical assessment and management of children with ASD. As others have suggested and confirmed in our data, clinicians may consider screening for co-occurring conditions/symptoms in those with ASD, so the most appropriate interventions are identified and provided.…”

Homogeneous Subgroups of Young Children with Autism Improve Phenotypic Characterization in the Study to Explore Early Development

“…The Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) is a multi-site case-control study designed to explore risk factors for the development of ASD (Schendel et al 2012; Wiggins et al 2015a, b). SEED presents a distinct opportunity to investigate ASD phenotypes because of its large sample size, comprehensive data collection, and thorough developmental assessment of child participants.…”