Atypical communication characteristics among clinic-referred youth with and without autism spectrum disorder: Stability and associations with clinical correlates. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kang, Erin; Lerner, Matthew D.; Gadow, Kenneth D.
• Editors: Elison, Jed T.
• Is Part Of: Development and psychopathology. Volume 32:Number 4(2020)
• Page Start: 1240
• Page End: 1253
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: atypical communication characteristics (ACC), -- autism spectrum disorder (ASD), -- comorbidity, -- latent class analysis; Child psychopathology -- Periodicals; Developmental psychology -- Periodicals; Psychology, Pathological -- Periodicals; 618.9289
• DOI: 10.1017/S095457942000070X
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0954-5794

Abstract

Abstract: Atypical communication characteristics (ACCs), such as speech delay, odd pitch, and pragmatic difficulties, are common features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as are the symptoms of a wide range of psychiatric disorders. Using a simple retrospective method, this study aimed to better understand the relation and stability of ACCs with a broad range of psychiatric symptoms among large, well-characterized samples of clinic-referred children and adolescents with and without ASD. Youth with ASD had higher rates and a more variable pattern of developmental change in ACCs than the non-ASD diagnostic group. Latent class analysis yielded three ACC stability subgroups within ASD: Stable ACCs, Mostly Current-Only ACCs, and Little Professors. Subgroups exhibited differences in severity of ASD symptomatology, co-occurring psychiatric symptoms, and other correlates. Our findings provide support for the clinical utility of characterizing caregiver-perceived changes in ACCs in identifying children at risk for co-occurring psychopathology and other clinically relevant variables.