Abstract
This study explored regression patterns in 100 children with ASD (3–11 years) using several approaches to enhance the validity of retrospective parent report. Both early development and outcome were examined in regression groups defined by 36 months age cut-off and two underlying empirical patterns based on type and onset age. Results over regression groups were generally consistent. During early development, children with regression showed a similar amount of social atypicalities and stereotyped behaviour as compared to children without regression. However, parents indicated less communication skills which could be a valuable predictor of regression. Development after regression was characterised by early language delay and more restricted and repetitive behaviour. The findings provide insight into the diagnosis and prognosis of regression in ASD.
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Data Availability
The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Abbreviations
- ADI-R:
-
Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised
- ADOS-2:
-
Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale-Second Edition
- APA:
-
American Psychiatric Association
- ASD:
-
Autism Spectrum Disorder
- ASD-NR:
-
Children without regression
- ASD-R:
-
Children with ASD who ever experienced a regression
- ASD-R > 36M:
-
Children with ASD and regression after 36 months
- ASD-R ≤ 36M:
-
Children with ASD and regression before or at 36 months
- ASD-R-L/S/M:
-
Children characterised by language and/or social and/or mixed (language and/or social sometimes in combination with motor and/or adaptive) regression
- ASD-R-NL/NS:
-
Children characterised by non-language or non-social (or adaptive and/or motor) regression
- BIC:
-
Bayesian Information Criterion
- CSS:
-
Calibrated Severity Score (ADOS-2)
- CDI:
-
Communicative Development Inventories
- CELF preschool-2:
-
Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool, Second Edition
- CELF-4:
-
Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Fourth Edition
- CS:
-
Component Score (M-ABC-2)
- EDQ:
-
Early Development Questionnaire
- ES:
-
Effect Size
- FET:
-
Fischer’s Exact Test
- IQ:
-
Intelligence Quotient
- LCA:
-
Latent Class Analysis
- M-ABC-2:
-
Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition
- RSQ:
-
Regression Supplemental Questions
- RVI:
-
Regression Validity Interview
- SCQ:
-
Social Communication Questionnaire
- SES:
-
Socioeconomic Status
- SRS-2:
-
Social Responsiveness Scale-Second Edition
- WNV:
-
Wechsler Non-verbal Scale of Ability
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Acknowledgments
We are very grateful to the parents and children who participated in the present study and would also like to express our gratitude to the reviewers who commented on previous versions of the manuscript.
Funding
Sofie Boterberg is supported by the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO—1163319N).
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Recruitment, data collection, analyses and interpretation was done by SB. HR was supervising the recruitment and data collection and provided substantial feedback on the analyses and interpretation of the data. He was a major contributor in writing the manuscript. RVC also supervised the research and provided additional feedback on the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University Ghent (Belgium) on the 3rd of August 2015. Participation was voluntary and the confidentiality of the child and caregiver(s) was protected.
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Boterberg, S., Van Coster, R. & Roeyers, H. Characteristics, Early Development and Outcome of Parent-Reported Regression in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 49, 4603–4625 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04183-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04183-x