Gaining Insights into Aggressive Behaviour in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Latent Profile Analysis.
Matthew O Sullivan, Louise Gallagher, Elizabeth A Heron
PMID 31292900WHAT IT FOUND
In 2079 children and adolescents with autism, two groups had higher aggression scores along with more anxiety, attention problems, hyperactivity and rigidity.
Aggression appeared with both higher and lower IQ, so IQ alone did not separate those groups.
Key findings
01Profiles 3 and 4 had elevated mean scores for aggression, anxious/depressed symptoms, attention problems and RBS-R sameness and ritualistic behaviour.
02Profile 4 had more pronounced attention problems, irritability, hyperactivity and self-injurious behaviour than Profile 3, and also lower levels of cognitive ability.
03Autism severity measured by ADOS CSS did not clearly differ between the profiles.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The data were cross-sectional, so the study could not show how aggression changed with age or development. The profiles were not replicated or externally validated, so they are not proven clinical groups. Aggression was measured by the CBCL aggressive behaviour scale, which includes items not specific to physical aggression, so aggression subtypes were not separated. Executive functioning was not measured, so possible links to inhibition, working memory, planning and flexibility could not be tested. Individuals with intellectual disability were under-represented, with fewer than 30% having intellectual disability. The sample came from families with only one child with autism and may show fewer behavioural comorbidities than a clinically ascertained sample. Classroom and family context were not included, so environmental influences on aggression were not examined.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the profiles as proven causes of aggression or as validated clinical groups. The analysis was cross-sectional, did not include executive function or aggression subtype data, and the subgroups were not replicated or externally validated.