Inattention and hyperactive/impulsive component scores do not differentiate between autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a clinical sample.
Aneta D Krakowski, Katherine Tombeau Cost, Evdokia Anagnostou and 6 others
PMID 32334619WHAT IT FOUND
Inattention and hyperactivity scores do not distinguish autism from ADHD, as levels were similar in both groups.
Social communication and repetitive behavior scores were higher in autism. Clinicians should screen for autism symptoms in children with ADHD, as co-occurrence is often missed.
Key findings
01There was no significant difference in inattentive or hyperactive/impulsive component scores between the autism and ADHD groups.
02Questionnaire caseness identified co-occurring symptoms far more frequently than clinical records, suggesting under-diagnosis.
03Females had lower component scores for social communication, repetitive behaviors, and hyperactivity/impulsivity than males within each diagnostic group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study relied on parent-rated questionnaires, which may introduce reporting bias or misinterpretation of symptoms. Non-verbal or minimally verbal children were excluded, potentially biasing the sample toward higher-functioning individuals. Participants with missing data had significantly lower IQ and adaptive functioning scores, limiting generalizability to more impaired populations. Co-occurring diagnoses were not formally assessed with diagnostic interviews for all participants, relying instead on caregiver report of clinical history.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Ontario Brain Institute. The authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that high inattention or hyperactivity scores rule out autism. These symptoms were not different between the autism and ADHD groups, so they cannot be used to distinguish the two diagnoses.