Emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs), such as anxiety, overactivity, and aggression, can influence the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The gold standard diagnostic tool for ASD, the "Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule--Second Edition," includes three items ("E-codes") for EBPs that are frequently associated…

Studies have shown that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) screening and diagnostic instruments may be affected by the presence of emotional and behavior problems (EBPs). This study assessed the impact of EBPs on the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F). Participants included 290 children, 18-48 months of age,…

Increasing numbers of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are attending mainstream schools. Nonetheless, concerns about their emotional well-being and mental health in these settings have also been raised. This study sought to compare caregiver-reported anxiety and other emotional and behavioural problems in youth with ASD attending…

This study compared maternal responsiveness to children with two neurodevelopmental disorders sharing different but, in some cases, overlapping social phenotypes--Williams syndrome (WS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)--and explored the relations between maternal responsiveness and child emotional/behavioural problems (EBP). The sample included…

Auditory hyper-reactivity is a common sensory-perceptual abnormality in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which interrupts behavioral adaptation. We investigated acoustic startle response (ASR) modulations in 17 children with ASD and 27 with typical development (TD). Compared to TD, children with ASD had larger ASR magnitude to weak stimuli and…

The present study identifies the prevalence and types of comorbid psychiatric disorders associated with Asperger syndrome (AS)/high-functioning autism (HFA) in a combined community- and clinic-based sample of fifty 9- to 16-year-old subjects using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children, Present and Lifetime…

Validity studies of measures for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) for use with preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are lacking. The Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 (CBCL; Achenbach and Rescorla, Manual for the ASEBA Preschool Forms & Profiles. VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, and…

Factors affecting the development of a taxonomy of psychopathology for children with mental retardation are considered, along with the following diagnostic areas to address: stereotypic behavior and self-injury, autism, organic brain syndromes, and pervasive developmental disorders. Using data from multivariate studies and findings related to…

This study performed a factor analysis of the Developmental Behavior Checklist (DBC) with 531 children and adolescents with mental retardation. The DBC is intended to assess psychopathology in youth with mental retardation. Findings indicated substantial overlap with the factor analyses of the scale's developers and high levels of internal…

Results from two studies indicate the nonselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) clomipramine is more efficacious than the relatively selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor desipramine and placebo in children with autism. A study of the selective SRI fluvoxamine found it to be significantly better than placebo for reducing repetitive…

Eight males and four females with an Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) diagnosis of autism (mean age of 16.3 years) and severe intellectual disability (IQ < 40) were individually matched to controls on the basis of chronological age, gender, and nonverbal IQ. The dependent measure was the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely…

Types of psychiatric and behavioral disturbances were reviewed for 169 preschoolers with developmental disabilities admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit. Differences were found in the proportion of some diagnoses and behavior problems across cognitive functioning level and across age; 72 percent had 1 or more medical diagnoses. (Author/SW)

This study assessed the relationship between parent/teacher ratings of hyperactivity and developmental indices in psychiatric clinic children (ages 5-16). Findings suggest that chronological age should be considered when behavior ratings are used to assess cognitively delayed children for hyperactivity but do not support use of mental age in…

The visual event-related potentials and concurrently measured fixation times of 20 nonretarded autistic children (ages 5-15) were compared with those of normal children, "externalizers," and "internalizers." Autistic children had smaller P3 waves compared to normal controls. No intergroup differences were found in…

This commentary discusses study results that indicate the nonselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) clomipramine is more efficacious than the relatively selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor desipramine and placebo in treating repetitive or ritualized behaviors in children with autism. The need for concurrent genetic and biochemical…