Gaining Insights into Aggressive Behaviour in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Latent Profile Analysis

Aggressive behaviour is a highly prevalent and devastating condition in autism spectrum disorder resulting in impoverished quality of life. Gold-standard therapies are ineffective in about 30% of patients leading to greater suffering. We investigated cortical thickness in individuals with autism spectrum disorder with pharmacological-treatment-refractory aggressive behaviour compared with those with non-refractory aggressive behaviour and observed a brain-wide pattern of local increased thickness in key areas related to emotional control and overall decreased cortical thickness in those with refractory aggressive behaviour, suggesting refractoriness could be related to specific morphological patterns. Elucidating the neurobiology of refractory aggressive behaviour is crucial to provide insights and potential avenues for new interventions.

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Overlapping symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders: more similarities than differences

10.31234/osf.io/7xspg ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Dienke J. Bos ◽

Daniella Dobos ◽

Bob Oranje ◽

Sarah Durston

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Latent Profile Analysis ◽

Profile Analysis ◽

Repetitive Behavior ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Adhd Symptoms ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Restricted And Repetitive Behavior

Background: While Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may intuitively seem to be on the extremes of a single spectrum (ranging from impulsive to rigid), symptoms of ASD and ADHD often co-occur in the same children. This study aimed to provide an in-depth characterization of ADHD and ASD symptoms in children with and without ASD and/or ADHD using questionnaire data. Methods: In total, we included 702 symptom measurements from 484 children aged between 6 and 18 years with ADHD (N=155), ASD (N=141), or typically developing (N=188) and analyzed these using linear mixed-effects models. We used latent-profile analysis (LPA) to investigate patterns of comorbid ADHD and ASD symptoms. Results: The present study investigated restricted and repetitive behavior and symptoms of ADHD across a large sample of children with ASD and/or ADHD, compared to typically developing peers. We found that children with comorbid ASD and ADHD had the most severe symptoms that persisted over development. Children with a primary ADHD diagnosis had elevated levels of restricted and repetitive behavior, and children with ASD also had symptoms of ADHD. Latent profile analysis (LPA) further suggested that patterns of symptom comorbidity are not specific to diagnostic categories.Conclusions: We found severe and persistent ASD and ADHD symptoms in children with comorbid ASD and ADHD. Children with a single diagnosis of ASD or ADHD had more moderate symptoms that improved with age. Furthermore, children with ASD had elevated ADHD symptoms, and vice versa, suggesting that symptoms are not specific to diagnostic categories.

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Profile analysis of the Personality Assessment Inventory‐Adolescent (PAI‐A) for individuals with autism spectrum disorder

Psychology in the Schools ◽

10.1002/pits.22453 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 58 (2) ◽

pp. 400-415

Author(s):

Elizabeth Hooks ◽

Brittany A. Dale ◽

Maria E. Hernandez Finch

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Personality Assessment ◽

Profile Analysis ◽

Personality Assessment Inventory ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder

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Predictors of Aggressive Behaviour in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities ◽

10.26407/2019jrtdd.1.22 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 70-81

Author(s):

ĐORĐEVIĆ, Mirjana V. ◽

GLUMBIĆ, Nenad P. ◽

BROJČIN, Branislav B. ◽

JOJIĆ, Milena P.

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Aggressive Behaviour ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder

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Leadership profiles associated with the implementation of behavioral health evidence-based practices for autism spectrum disorder in schools

Autism ◽

10.1177/1362361319834398 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 23 (8) ◽

pp. 1957-1968

Author(s):

Nicole A Stadnick ◽

Rosemary D Meza ◽

Jessica Suhrheinrich ◽

Gregory A Aarons ◽

Lauren Brookman-Frazee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Latent Profile Analysis ◽

Organizational Context ◽

Leadership Behaviors ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Implementation Climate ◽

Strategic Implementation ◽

Ebp Implementation

Implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the education system is a public health priority. Leadership is a critical driver of EBP implementation but little is known about the types of leadership behaviors exhibited by school leaders and how this influences the context of EBP implementation, particularly for students with ASD. The objectives of this study were to determine (1) the leadership profiles of principals involved in EBP implementation for students with ASD and (2) how these leadership profiles related to school characteristics and implementation climate. The Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework was used to guide the design and analysis of this study. Participants (n = 296) included principals, teachers, and classroom support staff. They provided demographic information and completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and Implementation Climate Scale. Using latent profile analysis, a three-pattern solution was identified: Disengaged (6% of sample), Undifferentiated (23% of sample), and Optimal (71% of sample). Principals in schools with higher proportions of students with an individualized education program were more likely to be classified as Undifferentiated than Optimal. The Optimal group was associated with more positive implementation climate than the Undifferentiated or Disengaged groups. Findings suggest that leadership behaviors rated by principals and their staff involved in implementation of common autism EBPs can be meaningfully clustered into three discernible profiles that are shaped by organizational context and linked to strategic implementation climate. Our study findings have implications for leadership training and service delivery in schools by underscoring the critical nature of school leadership during implementation of EBPs for children with autism and the interplay between specific leadership behaviors and strategic implementation climate.

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The Latent Structure of Autistic Traits: A Taxometric, Latent Class and Latent Profile Analysis of the Adult Autism Spectrum Quotient

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders ◽

10.1007/s10803-016-2897-z ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 46 (12) ◽

pp. 3712-3728 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Richard J. E. James ◽

Indu Dubey ◽

Danielle Smith ◽

Danielle Ropar ◽

Richard J. Tunney

Keyword(s):

Latent Profile Analysis ◽

Latent Class ◽

Profile Analysis ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Latent Structure ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Adult Autism ◽

Latent Profile

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Capturing cognitive and behavioral variability among individuals with Down syndrome: a latent profile analysis

Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽

10.1186/s11689-021-09365-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Marie Moore Channell ◽

◽

Laura J. Mattie ◽

Debra R. Hamilton ◽

George T. Capone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Down Syndrome ◽

Adaptive Behavior ◽

Latent Profile Analysis ◽

Profile Analysis ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Maladaptive Behavior ◽

Behavioral Variability ◽

Multinomial Regression ◽

Autism Symptomatology ◽

Latent Profile

Abstract Background There is a high degree of inter- and intra-individual variability observed within the phenotype of Down syndrome. The Down Syndrome Cognition Project was formed to capture this variability by developing a large nationwide database of cognitive, behavioral, health, and genetic information on individuals with Down syndrome, ages 6–25 years. The current study used the Down Syndrome Cognition Project database to characterize cognitive and behavioral variability among individuals with Down syndrome. Methods Latent profile analysis was used to identify classes across a sample of 314 participants based on their cognition (IQ and executive functioning), adaptive and maladaptive behavior, and autism spectrum disorder symptomatology. A multivariate multinomial regression model simultaneously examined demographic correlates of class. Results Results supported a 3-class model. Each class demonstrated a unique profile across the subdomains of cognition and behavior. The “normative” class was the largest (n = 153, 48%) and displayed a relatively consistent profile of cognition and adaptive behavior, with low rates of maladaptive behavior and autism symptomatology. The “cognitive” class (n = 109, 35%) displayed low cognitive scores and adaptive behavior and more autism symptomatology, but with low rates of maladaptive behavior. The “behavioral” class, the smallest group (n = 52, 17%), demonstrated higher rates of maladaptive behavior and autism symptomatology, but with cognition levels similar to the “normative” class; their adaptive behavior scores fell in between the other two classes. Household income and sex were the only demographic variables to differ among classes. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of subtyping the cognitive and behavioral phenotype among individuals with Down syndrome to identify more homogeneous classes for future intervention and etiologic studies. Results also demonstrate the feasibility of using latent profile analysis to distinguish subtypes in this population. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

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