Examination of Aggression and Self-injury in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Serious Behavioral Problems

Abstract

Synopsis This study identified subtypes of aggression in a sample of 206 children (174 boys, 32 girls) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who participated in two risperidone trials conducted by the Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP) Autism Network. The classification of aggression subtypes was based on a review of brief narratives documented at baseline. The narratives were derived from a parent interview about the child’s two most pressing problems. Five subtypes of aggression emerged: hot aggression only, cold aggression only, self-injurious behavior (SIB) only, aggression and SIB, and non-aggressive. The aggression and SIB group had the highest proportion of children with IQ below 70. Children in the hot aggression group were slightly younger and had higher scores on the ABC-Irritability subscale than the non-aggression group. The SIB only group had the highest ABC-Irritability score. All groups showed a high rate of positive response to risperidone with no differences across subtypes. These study findings extend our understanding of aggression in ASD and may be useful to guide further study on biological mechanisms and individualized treatment in ASD.

Are Molecules Involved in Neuritogenesis and Axon Guidance Related to Autism Pathogenesis?

“…Very few studies deal with alterations in the connectivity among different brain areas and an aggressive phenotype (Márquez et al 2013), although various subtypes of aggression were identified in children with autism spectrum disorder (Carroll et al 2014). Bilateral aberrant long-range corticocortical connectivity was demonstrated in some subjects with autism (Jou et al 2011).…”

Distress and Psychological Growth in Parenting an Adult Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Aggression

“…Additional behaviours including self-injury and aggression can complicate integration into their school or community for children with ASD, placing additional stress on their families (Carroll et al 2014;Doehring et al, 2014). Though parents have reported feeling shock and grief on receiving a diagnosis of ASD for their child, receiving a diagnosis has also provided a sense of relief for some bringing acceptance and understanding of their child's particular difficulties (Mount and Dillon 2014).…”

“…Unusual preoccupations and repetitive behaviour in conjunction with impairments in communication skills and social interaction are key characteristics of ASD (Carroll et al 2014). Additional behaviours including self-injury and aggression can complicate integration into their school or community for children with ASD, placing additional stress on their families (Carroll et al 2014;Doehring et al, 2014).…”

“…Whilst the effects of aggression on parents has been widely evaluated in the domain of younger children and adolescents with ASD (e.g. Carroll et al 2014;Mount and Dillon 2014), the impact of aggression on a parent of an older/adult child with ASD has been largely neglected.…”

“…The literature investigating this phenomenon has become more prolific in recent years as researchers try to identify the link between ASD and aggression, particularly what contributes to and predicts such behaviours (e.g. Carroll et al 2014;Matson and Nebel-Schwalm 2007).…”