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Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorder Behaviors in Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder With and Without Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Versus Several Comparison Samples

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Abstract

We compared disruptive behaviors in boys with either autism spectrum disorder (ASD) plus ADHD (n = 74), chronic multiple tic disorder plus ADHD (n = 47), ADHD Only (n = 59), or ASD Only (n = 107). Children were evaluated with parent and teacher versions of the Child Symptom Inventory-4 including parent- (n = 168) and teacher-rated (n = 173) community controls. Parents rated children in the three ADHD groups comparably for each symptom of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder. Teacher ratings indicated that the ASD + ADHD group evidenced a unique pattern of ODD symptom severity, differentiating them from the other ADHD groups, and from the ASD Only group. The clinical features of ASD appear to influence co-morbid, DSM-IV-defined ODD, with implications for nosology.

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Acknowledgment

The authors wish to thank Dr. John Pomeroy, Dr. Joyce Sprafkin, and Dr. Jeff Sverd for their role in the diagnostic evaluations. This study was supported, in part, by grants awarded to Dr. Gadow from the Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc., National Institute of Mental Health (MH 45358), and the Matt and Debra Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The New School of Psychology, The Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC), Herzliya, Israel

    Sarit Guttmann-Steinmetz

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Putnam Hall-South Campus, SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8790, USA

    Kenneth D. Gadow

  3. Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    Carla J. DeVincent

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  1. Sarit Guttmann-Steinmetz
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  2. Kenneth D. Gadow
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  3. Carla J. DeVincent
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Guttmann-Steinmetz, S., Gadow, K.D. & DeVincent, C.J. Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorder Behaviors in Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder With and Without Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Versus Several Comparison Samples. J Autism Dev Disord 39, 976–985 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-009-0706-7

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