Premigration social adversity and autism spectrum disorder

Augereau, Natacha; Lagdas, Ines; Kermarrec, Solenn; Gicquel, Ludovic; Martin, V; Xavier, Jean; Cohen, David; Bouvet, Michel; Rolland, Aurélia; Tordjman, Sylvie

doi:10.1192/bjo.2020.56

Cited by 6 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…Several reasons have been proposed for the higher prevalence or greater risk for ASD among immigrant populations, including nutrition and vitamin insufficiency (Dealberto, 2011; Lee et al, 2019; Schmidt et al, 2012), stress and trauma from migration (Rai, Golding, et al, 2012), the timing of migration or pregnancy (Kolevzon et al, 2007; Magnusson et al, 2012), and other sociodemographic factors (Kolevzon et al, 2007; Rai, Lewis, et al, 2012). However, other studies have also posited that there is a lower prevalence or lower risk for ASD among children of immigrant parents or no difference in risk when compared to children of non‐immigrant parents (Abdullahi et al, 2019; Augereau et al, 2020; Kamer et al, 2004; Singh et al, 2013). Kamer et al (2004) reviewed census data of children in Israel born between 1983 and 1997 and found that first‐generation Ethiopian children had the lowest prevalence of pervasive developmental disorder when compared to non‐Ethiopian immigrant children, and Israeli born, non‐Ethiopian children.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Kamer et al (2004) reviewed census data of children in Israel born between 1983 and 1997 and found that first‐generation Ethiopian children had the lowest prevalence of pervasive developmental disorder when compared to non‐Ethiopian immigrant children, and Israeli born, non‐Ethiopian children. Augereau et al (2020) examined whether the migration experience or pre‐migration adversity would be associated with ASD. The authors compared the migration background of parents and grandparents of boys with ASD to boys with language disorders, finding that the migration experience itself was not differentially associated with ASD.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Examining factors related to the age of diagnosis of children with autism spectrum disorder from immigrant and non‐immigrant backgrounds in a diverse clinical sample

Vanegas

2021

Autism Research

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A timely diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is important for children as that may help inform the best services and supports needed for optimal outcomes. However, disparities in the identification of ASD have been consistently documented for racial/ethnic minority and immigrant populations. The majority of studies of immigrant populations have focused on the qualitative experience of ASD, however, greater knowledge about the predictors of the age of initial ASD diagnosis is needed. This study examined the child, maternal, and family‐level factors that predicted the age of initial ASD diagnosis in a diverse clinical sample through a retrospective medical record review. Medical records of clinical evaluations conducted between 2004 and 2014 were reviewed for children with ASD born to immigrant and non‐immigrant mothers. Regression analyses found that for both groups of children with ASD, using verbal language to communicate and having another diagnosis (attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder or another condition) predicted an older age of initial ASD diagnosis. For children with ASD born to immigrant mothers, residing in a multilingual household was associated with a younger age of diagnosis. These results highlight the complexities of an ASD diagnosis among diverse children and families, particularly among immigrant communities. Lay Summary This research looked at predictors of when children received their first autism spectrum disorder diagnosis across children born to immigrant mothers and children born to U.S.‐born mothers. Living in a multilingual home was related to a younger age of diagnosis for children of immigrant mothers; being verbal and having another diagnosis was related to an older age of diagnosis for both groups of children. This highlights the need to improve diagnostic services for diverse children.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining factors related to the age of diagnosis of children with autism spectrum disorder from immigrant and non‐immigrant backgrounds in a diverse clinical sample

Vanegas

2021

Autism Research

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“…In France, the HDI values of native countries were significantly lower for parents and grandparents of ASD boys compared to controls (parents and grandparents of non-ASD boys with language disorders), especially for paternal grandparents, whereas no differences were found between the two groups when considering only (grand) parental immigrant status. Furthermore, HDI levels from the paternal line (father and especially paternal grandparents) were negatively correlated with autism severity, particularly for social interaction impairments ( 14 ). The authors hypothesized that social adversity-related stress experienced during the premigration period, especially by paternal grandparents, may be a factor of vulnerability for ASD ( 14 ).…”

Section: Differential Exposure To Neurodevelopmental Risk Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, HDI levels from the paternal line (father and especially paternal grandparents) were negatively correlated with autism severity, particularly for social interaction impairments ( 14 ). The authors hypothesized that social adversity-related stress experienced during the premigration period, especially by paternal grandparents, may be a factor of vulnerability for ASD ( 14 ). Furthermore, associations between low human development and the incidence of schizophrenia (which is nowadays considered a neurodevelopmental disorder), including childhood-onset schizophrenia, have been observed in immigrant populations ( 88 – 91 ).…”

Section: Differential Exposure To Neurodevelopmental Risk Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autism Spectrum and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children of Immigrants: A Brief Review of Current Evidence and Implications for Clinical Practice

et al. 2021

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Children of immigrants may have higher neurodevelopmental risks than those of non-immigrant populations. Yet, some evidence suggests that this group may receive late diagnosis, and therefore miss beneficial early interventions. Clinicians may misattribute symptoms of disorders to other social, behavioral or language problems. Likewise, there might be cultural differences in parents' likelihood of perceiving or reporting first developmental concerns to clinicians. Population-based standardized screening may play an important role in addressing ethnic inequalities in the age at diagnosis, although further research focusing on cross-cultural use is necessary. Once children are diagnosed, clinicians may rely on culturally sensitive procedures (translation services, cultural mediators) to increase the accessibility of interventions and improve adherence among immigrant families. In this brief review, we provide an overview about what is currently known about the epidemiology and risk factors of neurodevelopmental disorders, paying special attention to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in children of immigrants and suggest the necessity of population-based screening and culturally sensitive care.

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“…Thus, members of minority groups do not tend to receive evidence-based interventions at appropriate ages, which points to a significant gap in equity in relation to the cross-ethnic and cross-racial treatment of ASD [ 7 ]. Additionally, in France, the higher prevalence of ASD among French immigrants is associated with higher levels of stress, adversity and trauma experienced in the home country [ 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migration is associated with baseline severity and progress over time in autism spectrum disorder: Evidence from a French prospective longitudinal study

Bettencourt

Garret‐Gloanec²,

Pellerin³

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

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Background The prevalence of autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) has been shown to be higher in migrant families, but it is also a challenge for health care professionals to offer adequate services to families that face multiple challenges. In the context of the EPIGRAM study (a French prospective, multisite, longitudinal observational study implementing integrative care practices (ICPs) for children with ASD), we aimed to assess the impact of migration on children with ASD. Method and findings 89 children with ASD aged 3 to 6 years old (92% males) were recruited and followed up for 12 months. The children were clinically assessed using several instruments. At baseline, children had severe autism on average on the Children Autism Rating Scale (CARS, mean = 44; SD = 6.51) and moderate autism on the PsychoEducational profile-3-R (PEP-3-R) maladaptive behavior category (mean = 30; SD = 29.89). Thirty percent of the families had a low socio-economic status, and 56% were first-generation immigrants. For all clinical variables, children of immigrant parents had more severe autism and developmental delays at baseline. A linear mixed model established an improvement in all clinical characteristics over the 12 months of the study. This trend may be attributed to ICPs or any naturally occurring event during that period. Families shared this positive view over time. However, the improvements were slower for two clinical dimensions of the PEP-3-R in children from migrant families. For the inappropriate behavior category, the time effect diminished by an average of 0.83 percentile/month for children whose parents were migrants vs. children whose parents were non-migrants. Similarly, for verbal behavior characteristics, the time effect diminished by an average of 1.32 percentile/month for children whose parents were migrants vs. children whose parents were non-migrants. Conclusion Despite an overall positive improvement, we found that migration is associated baseline severity and progress over time in children with ASD. There is an urgent need to target the migrant population with specific research and understand the avenues that carry such higher severity. Clinical trial registration Study registration on clinicaltrials.gov under the number NCT02154828.

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Premigration social adversity and autism spectrum disorder

Cited by 6 publications

References 35 publications

Examining factors related to the age of diagnosis of children with autism spectrum disorder from immigrant and non‐immigrant backgrounds in a diverse clinical sample

Examining factors related to the age of diagnosis of children with autism spectrum disorder from immigrant and non‐immigrant backgrounds in a diverse clinical sample

Autism Spectrum and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children of Immigrants: A Brief Review of Current Evidence and Implications for Clinical Practice

Migration is associated with baseline severity and progress over time in autism spectrum disorder: Evidence from a French prospective longitudinal study

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