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Co-occurring Psychiatric Disorders in Preschool and Elementary School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

We employed a clinical sample of young children with ASD, with and without intellectual disability, to determine the rate and type of psychiatric disorders and possible association with risk factors. We assessed 101 children (57 males, 44 females) aged 4.5–9.8 years. 90.5 % of the sample met the criteria. Most common diagnoses were: generalized anxiety disorder (66.5 %), specific phobias (52.7 %) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (59.1 %). Boys were more likely to have oppositional defiant disorder (OR 3.9). Higher IQ was associated with anxiety disorders (OR 2.9) and older age with agoraphobia (OR 5.8). Night terrors was associated with parental psychological distress (OR 14.2). Most young ASD children met the criteria for additional psychopathology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Assessment, Liaison and Outreach Team, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Woodland House, Cranbrook Road, Staplehurst, Kent, TN12 0ER, UK

    Fernando Salazar

  2. Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK

    Gillian Baird

  3. Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK

    Susie Chandler & Patricia Howlin

  4. Bromley Healthcare CIC, 1st Floor, Beckenham Beacon, 379 Croydon Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 3QL, UK

    Evelin Tseng

  5. Lewisham Healthcare, Children First Lewisham, c/o Diane Bishop at Kaleidoscope, 32 Rushey Green, Catford, London, SE64JF, UK

    Tony O’sullivan

  6. Department of Biostatistics, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK

    Andrew Pickles

  7. Institute of Psychiatry, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK

    Andrew Pickles & Emily Simonoff

  8. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK

    Emily Simonoff

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  1. Fernando Salazar
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  2. Gillian Baird
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  3. Susie Chandler
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Correspondence to Emily Simonoff.

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Salazar, F., Baird, G., Chandler, S. et al. Co-occurring Psychiatric Disorders in Preschool and Elementary School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 45, 2283–2294 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2361-5

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