Prevalence of Co-occurring Medical and Behavioral Conditions/Symptoms Among 4- and 8-Year-Old Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Selected Areas of the United States in 2010.

We compared the prevalence of various medical and behavioral co-occurring conditions/symptoms between 4- and 8-year-olds with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from five sites in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network during the 2010 survey year, accounting for sociodemographic differences. Over 95% of children had at least one co-occurring condition/symptom. Overall, the prevalence was higher in 8- than 4-year-olds for 67% of co-occurring conditions/symptoms examined. Further, our data suggested that co-occurring conditions/symptoms increased or decreased the age at which children were first evaluated for ASD. Similarly, among the 8-year-olds, the prevalence of most co-occurring conditions/symptoms was higher in children with a previous ASD diagnosis documented in their records. These findings are informative for understanding and screening co-occurring conditions/symptoms in ASD.

Brief Report: Self-Injurious Behaviors in Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Compared to Other Developmental Delays and Disorders.

We compared the prevalence of self-injurious behaviors (SIB) in preschoolers aged 30-68 months with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (n = 691) versus other developmental delays and disorders (DD) (n = 977) accounting for sociodemographic, cognitive, and medical factors. SIB prevalence was higher in ASD versus all DD [adjusted odds-ratio (aOR) 2.13 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.53, 2.97)]. In subgroup analyses, SIB prevalence was higher in ASD versus DD without ASD symptoms [aOR 4.42 (95% CI 2.66, 7.33)], but was similar between ASD and DD with ASD symptoms [aOR 1.09 (95% CI 0.68, 1.77)]. We confirmed higher prevalence of SIB in ASD versus DD, independent of confounders. In children with DD, SIB prevalence increased with more ASD symptoms. These findings are informative to clinicians, researchers, and policymakers.

Factors Associated with Self-Injurious Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Findings from Two Large National Samples.

In this study, we explored potential associations among self-injurious behaviors (SIB) and a diverse group of protective and risk factors in children with autism spectrum disorder from two databases: Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network and the Autism Speaks-Autism Treatment Network (AS-ATN). The presence of SIB was determined from children's records in ADDM and a parent questionnaire in AS-ATN. We used multiple imputation to account for missing data and a non-linear mixed model with site as a random effect to test for associations. Despite differences between the two databases, similar associations were found; SIB were associated with developmental, behavioral, and somatic factors. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to possible etiology, future longitudinal studies, and clinical practice.