| Popis: |
This study explored the demographic and clinical characteristics of children referred and evaluated for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This study was conducted using the clinical records of 510 children ages five years and younger referred to a specialty clinic at a large, Midwestern children's hospital in 2008 and 2009. One goal of this study, which was primarily exploratory in nature, was to add to a small but growing body of literature addressing the demographic factors associated with an ASD diagnosis. It was hypothesized that children referred with communication concerns would be significantly more likely to be diagnosed with an ASD, when demographic factors were controlled. Exploratory analyses were conducted to determine which demographic and clinical variables were significantly associated with a final diagnosis of ASD. Results showed that children diagnosed with ASD (n = 291) were more likely to be referred with communication concerns than those not diagnosed on the autism spectrum (n = 219). Children in the ASD group were also found to be significantly younger than those in the Not ASD group. No significant differences were found between the two groups on the variables race or sex, or the remaining referral concerns. Results of logistic regression indicated that probability of being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder increased for children referred with communication concerns as compared to those referred with other types of concerns. The results of this study are discussed, as well as implications for future research. |
