Electrodermal Variability and Symptom Severity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Temperament is a construct that is relatively stable over time but varies between individuals. Research suggests that children with autism spectrum disorder have a ‘reactive’ temperament profile when compared to peers with or without disabilities. However, our understanding of how temperament varies within children with autism and how it relates to child symptoms and outcomes is limited. This study aimed to (a) explore the variation of individual temperament traits within a sample of school-aged children with autism to determine whether subgroups of children with similar trait profiles emerge and (b) examine whether temperament influences the relationship between autism symptoms and adaptive functioning outcomes. Results revealed that children with autism can be classified empirically into two distinct profiles – ‘Even’ and ‘Reactive’ temperaments. Correlational and hierarchical regression analyses indicated that both temperament profiles and baseline symptom severity predicted adaptive functioning outcomes 1 year later. There was a significant interaction between temperament and symptom severity, suggesting temperament can influence the impact of increasing symptom severity on adaptive functioning skills in children with autism. Study findings highlight the importance of considering temperament in understanding the individual differences that influence the development of daily functioning and developmental outcomes in children with autism. Lay Abstract Temperament is often thought of as behavioural traits that are relatively stable over time but can vary between individuals. Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are often characterized as having ‘reactive’ and ‘negative’ temperaments when compared to same-aged peers with or without disabilities, which can negatively impact the development of adaptive functioning skills but little is known about variations of temperament between individual children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. This study aimed to (a) explore the variation of individual temperament traits within a sample of school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder to determine whether subgroups with similar trait profiles emerge and (b) examine whether temperament influences the relationship between autism symptoms and adaptive functioning outcomes. Results from our dataset suggest that children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder fit under two profiles: ‘even’ and ‘reactive’. Furthermore, our analysis shows that temperament can influence the impact of increasing symptom severity on adaptive functioning skills in children with autism spectrum disorder. Study findings highlight the importance of considering temperament when trying to understand the individual differences that influence the development of functioning and developmental outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder.

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Developmental Trajectories of Symptom Severity and Adaptive Functioning in an Inception Cohort of Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

JAMA Psychiatry ◽

10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.2463 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 72 (3) ◽

pp. 276 ◽

Cited By ~ 118

Author(s):

Peter Szatmari ◽

Stelios Georgiades ◽

Eric Duku ◽

Teresa A. Bennett ◽

Susan Bryson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Symptom Severity ◽

Adaptive Functioning ◽

Developmental Trajectories ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Inception Cohort

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Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder of All Ages, Levels of Symptom Severity and General Cognitive Ability Display Low Processing Speed Index Scores Warranting Special Educational Assistance

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders ◽

10.1007/s10803-021-05249-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

M. Linnenbank ◽

R. Feldmann ◽

G. Schulte-Körne ◽

S. Beimdiek ◽

E. Strittmatter

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Cognitive Ability ◽

School Children ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Symptom Severity ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

General Cognitive Ability ◽

Children With Asd

AbstractThe processing speed index (PSI) of the Wechsler intelligence scale for children (WISC-IV) has been found to predict a child's level of academic functioning. The consistently reported PSI weakness in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) therefore warrants special assistance and attempts at compensation for the disadvantages associated with these children's low PSI. We investigated the association of PSI scores with age, general cognitive ability [as measured by full-scale IQ (FSIQ)], symptom severity and discrepancy between the WISC-IV indices verbal comprehension (VCI) and perceptual reasoning (PRI) in 101 school children with ASD. The PSI weakness in children with ASD was not related to age, FSIQ, VCI-PRI discrepancy or any of the symptom measures. These findings suggest that school children with ASD independent of their age, level of cognitive ability, VCI-PRI profile and most notably independent of their symptom severity should be entitled to special assistance and compensation in educational settings.

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