Co-occurring Conditions and Change in Diagnosis in Autism Spectrum Disorders

February 27, 2012

  http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/01/18/peds.2011-1717.abstract

A study in the February issue of Pediatrics by researchers affiliated with Johns Hopkins University and Massachusetts General Hospital for Children reviewed data from the 2007 National Children's Health Survey. Authors report that among children between 3-17 years diagnosed at one time with autism, a substantial percentage (26% of children aged 3-5, 34% of children aged 6-11, and 35% of children 12-17) were later no longer considered to have this condition. Authors indicate that the presence of co-occurring psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions are most commonly associated with a change in ASD diagnosis.

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