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Accepted (AM)Open Access (License Unspecified), Open
Journal article
Evaluation of sex differences in preschool children with and without autism spectrum disorder enrolled in the study to explore early development
Research in developmental disabilities, v 112, 103897
May 2021
PMID: 33610079
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Research in school-aged children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has found sex-based differences in behavioral, developmental, and diagnostic outcomes. These findings have not been consistently replicated in preschool-aged children. We examined sex-based differences in a large sample of 2–5-year-old children with ASD symptoms in a multi-site community-based study.
Based on a comprehensive evaluation, children were classified as having ASD (n = 1480, 81.55 % male) or subthreshold ASD characteristics (n = 593, 70.15 % male). Outcomes were behavior problems, developmental abilities, performance on ASD screening and diagnostic tests, and parent-reported developmental conditions diagnosed before study enrollment.
We found no statistically significant sex differences in behavioral functioning, developmental functioning, performance on an ASD screening test, and developmental conditions diagnosed before study enrollment among children with ASD or subthreshold ASD characteristics. Males in both study groups had more parent reported restricted interests and repetitive behaviors than females, but these differences were small in magnitude and not clinically meaningful.
Preschool males and females who showed risk for ASD were more similar than different in the outcomes assessed in our study. Future research could examine sex-based differences in ASD phenotypes as children age.
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Details
- Title
- Evaluation of sex differences in preschool children with and without autism spectrum disorder enrolled in the study to explore early development
- Creators
- Lisa D. Wiggins - National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental DisabilitiesEric Rubenstein - Boston UniversityGayle Windham - California Department of Public HealthBrian Barger - Georgia State UniversityLisa Croen - Kaiser PermanenteNicole Dowling - National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental DisabilitiesEllen Giarelli - Drexel UniversitySusan Levy - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaEric Moody - University of WyomingGnakub Soke - National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental DisabilitiesVictoria Fields - National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental DisabilitiesLaura Schieve - National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
- Publication Details
- Research in developmental disabilities, v 112, 103897
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- [Retired Faculty]
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000636408500001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85102868629
- Other Identifier
- 991019168055204721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Education, Special
- Rehabilitation