Adverse Childhood Experiences in Autistic and Neurotypical Girls.

The ACE questionnaire was completed by the parent, so it is the caregiver's account, and it does not record when the adversity happened, which the authors note matters for outcomes. The version used left out bullying and peer victimization and income insufficiency, which are the adversities most often reported for autistic children in other studies. The sample was 78% White and limited in ethnicity, income and cognitive range, so it does not capture the range of families. Medication use was much more common in the autistic girls (69.6% versus 37.5%), and that was not adjusted for in the analyses. Every ACE is counted as equal, though the authors say the items are not equal in impact and that intensity, duration and available resources all matter. The three aims were examined at one time point, so nothing here shows whether adversity came before the mental health symptoms.

The authors declare no competing interests. The study text itself gives no funding statement; the journal's record lists public NIH research support.

Do not read this as showing that adversity causes autism, or that one particular kind of adversity is responsible. No single ACE item differed between the groups, and the questionnaires were filled in by parents at a single time point, so the study cannot tell cause from consequence.