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Irritability in Autism

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Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Irritability in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been a long-standing target of clinical research including pharmacological and behavioral interventions. Historically, the term irritability was used in ASD literature as an umbrella category for severe disruptive behaviors including temper tantrums, aggression, and noncompliance. The rates of co-occurrence of ASD with disruptive behavior disorders ranges from 16% to 37% for oppositional defiant and 2–9.6% for conduct disorder. However, up to 65% of children with ASD can have physically aggressive behavior towards their peers or caregivers. (Kanne and Mazurek 2011). Using a more recent conceptualization of irritability, as a cluster of mood symptoms, 45% of children with ASD were reported to have high levels of angry mood and temper tantrums (Mayes et al. 2017). Irritability and associated behavioral problems are distressing in their own right for children and families, and they also contribute to the gap between...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA

    Denis G. Sukhodolsky, Theresa R. Gladstone & Carolyn L. Marsh

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  1. Denis G. Sukhodolsky
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  2. Theresa R. Gladstone
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  3. Carolyn L. Marsh
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Correspondence to Denis G. Sukhodolsky .

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  1. Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

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Sukhodolsky, D.G., Gladstone, T.R., Marsh, C.L. (2018). Irritability in Autism. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102263-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102263-1

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