Association between regression and self injury among children with autism

Eboni I Lance; Janet M York; Li-Ching Lee; Andrew W Zimmerman

doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2013.11.014

Association between regression and self injury among children with autism

Res Dev Disabil. 2014 Feb;35(2):408-13. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2013.11.014. Epub 2013 Dec 14.

Authors

Eboni I Lance¹, Janet M York², Li-Ching Lee³, Andrew W Zimmerman⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 707 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States; Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States. Electronic address: lance@kennedykrieger.org.
² Neurobehavioral Unit, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 707 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States; Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States. Electronic address: janet.york@myactv.net.
³ Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States. Electronic address: llee2@jhsph.edu.
⁴ Department of Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 707 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States. Electronic address: AZIMMERMAN@PARTNERS.ORG.

PMID: 24342713
DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2013.11.014

Abstract

Self injurious behaviors (SIBs) are challenging clinical problems in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This study is one of the first and largest to utilize inpatient data to examine the associations between autism, developmental regression, and SIBs. Medical records of 125 neurobehavioral hospitalized patients with diagnoses of ASDs and SIBs between 4 and 17 years of age were reviewed. Data were collected from medical records on the type and frequency of SIBs and a history of language, social, or behavioral regression during development. The children with a history of any type of developmental regression (social, behavioral, or language) were more likely to have a diagnosis of autistic disorder than other ASD diagnoses. There were no significant differences in the occurrence of self injurious or other problem behaviors (such as aggression or disruption) between children with and without regression. Regression may influence the diagnostic considerations in ASDs but does not seem to influence the clinical phenotype with regard to behavioral issues. Additional data analyses explored the frequencies and subtypes of SIBs and other medical diagnoses in ASDs, with intellectual disability and disruptive behavior disorder found most commonly.

Keywords: Autism; Autism spectrum disorder; Regression; Self-injurious behaviors.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Autistic Disorder / epidemiology*
Autistic Disorder / psychology
Child
Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / epidemiology
Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / psychology
Child, Preschool
Cohort Studies
Female
Humans
Intellectual Disability / epidemiology
Intellectual Disability / psychology
Language
Logistic Models
Male
Odds Ratio
Regression, Psychology*
Retrospective Studies
Self-Injurious Behavior / epidemiology*
Self-Injurious Behavior / psychology
Social Behavior