Changes in Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions from Preschool to Adolescence: Considerations for Precision Monitoring and Treatment Planning.
Lisa D Wiggins, Katie Overwyk, Patrick Powell and 7 others
PMID 39269675WHAT IT FOUND
85.5% of children diagnosed with autism in preschool still had it by adolescence.
Children with autism also gained ADHD, DD, sensory integration and speech-language conditions more often than children with other developmental or mental health diagnoses.
Key findings
0185.5% of the 214 children diagnosed with autism in preschool retained the diagnosis by adolescence, and 53 additional children were diagnosed with autism by adolescence.
02Among children with autism, DD, sensory integration disorder and speech-language disorder co-occurred in over 20% in preschool, and ADHD, anxiety disorders, DD, intellectual disability, learning disability, sensory integration disorder and speech-language disorder co-occurred in over 20% in adolescence.
03Children with autism gained ADHD, DD, sensory integration disorder and speech-language disorder by adolescence more often than children with another developmental or mental health diagnosis in preschool.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Diagnoses were caregiver-reported provider diagnoses, not clinical evaluations or medical record review. Caregiver respondents were 99% mothers. The adolescent survey asked only about general anxiety or mood categories, not specific disorders. Intellectual disability and learning disability were considered only in adolescence, so preschool-to-adolescence change could not be measured for them. Too few children had obsessive-compulsive disorder or epilepsy/seizure disorder for longitudinal analysis. Only caregivers who agreed to future contact were invited to SEED Teen, and 865 of 1,039 enrolled completed the survey. The study compared groups over time but did not test whether any treatment caused changes.
Declared interests
The SEED study was sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that occupational therapy, physical therapy or speech-language services improve outcomes. The study reported diagnoses and service use, not treatment effects.