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Multi-informant Ratings of Psychiatric Symptom Severity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Importance of Environmental Context

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Abstract

The present study examines co-occurring psychiatric syndromes in a well-characterized sample of youths with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; n = 177) and their siblings (n = 148), reported independently by parents and teachers. In ASD, parents reported substantial comorbidity with affective (26%), anxiety (25%), attentional (25%), conduct (16%), oppositional (15%), and somatic problems (6%). Teachers reported a much lower prevalence. Autistic severity scores for children with ASD exhibited moderate correlations with general psychopathology within- but not across-informants, whereas, sibling correlations were significant both within- and across-informants. Results support the role of environmental context in psychiatric symptom expression in children affected by autism and suggest that informant discrepancies may more provide critical cues for these children via specific environmental modifications.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01-HD42541-01) to Dr. John Constantino. The authors wish to thank the families who participated in this study for their ongoing contributions to scientific research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Psychology and Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Missouri, 300 Portland Street, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Stephen M. Kanne

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, 24 South Kingshighway, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St Louis, MO, 63108, USA

    Anna M. Abbacchi & John N. Constantino

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  1. Stephen M. Kanne
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  2. Anna M. Abbacchi
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Correspondence to Stephen M. Kanne.

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Kanne, S.M., Abbacchi, A.M. & Constantino, J.N. Multi-informant Ratings of Psychiatric Symptom Severity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Importance of Environmental Context. J Autism Dev Disord 39, 856–864 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-009-0694-7

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