Autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder is a construct used to describe individuals with a specific combination of impairments in social communication and repetitive behaviours, highly restricted interests and/or sensory behaviours beginning early in life. The worldwide prevalence of autism is just under 1%, but estimates are higher in high-income countries. Although gross brain pathology is not characteristic of autism, subtle anatomical and functional differences have been observed in post-mortem, neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies. Initially, it was hoped that accurate measurement of behavioural phenotypes would lead to specific genetic subtypes, but genetic findings have mainly applied to heterogeneous groups that are not specific to autism. Psychosocial interventions in children can improve specific behaviours, such as joint attention, language and social engagement, that may affect further development and could reduce symptom severity. However, further research is necessary to identify the long-term needs of people with autism, and treatments and the mechanisms behind them that could result in improved independence and quality of life over time. Families are often the major source of support for people with autism throughout much of life and need to be considered, along with the perspectives of autistic individuals, in both research and practice.

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Autism spectrum disorder

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the national prevalence of parent-reported autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis among US children aged 3 to 17 years as well as their treatment and health care experiences using the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). METHODS: The 2016 NSCH is a nationally representative survey of 50 212 children focused on the health and well-being of children aged 0 to 17 years. The NSCH collected parent-reported information on whether children ever received an ASD diagnosis by a care provider, current ASD status, health care use, access and challenges, and methods of treatment. We calculated weighted prevalence estimates of ASD, compared health care experiences of children with ASD to other children, and examined factors associated with increased likelihood of medication and behavioral treatment. RESULTS: Parents of an estimated 1.5 million US children aged 3 to 17 years (2.50%) reported that their child had ever received an ASD diagnosis and currently had the condition. Children with parent-reported ASD diagnosis were more likely to have greater health care needs and difficulties accessing health care than children with other emotional or behavioral disorders (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, behavioral or conduct problems, depression, developmental delay, Down syndrome, intellectual disability, learning disability, Tourette syndrome) and children without these conditions. Of children with current ASD, 27% were taking medication for ASD-related symptoms, whereas 64% received behavioral treatments in the last 12 months, with variations by sociodemographic characteristics and co-occurring conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated prevalence of US children with a parent-reported ASD diagnosis is now 1 in 40, with rates of ASD-specific treatment usage varying by children’s sociodemographic and co-occurring conditions.

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2018/11/21/peds.2017-4161.full.pdf

The Prevalence of Parent-Reported Autism Spectrum Disorder Among US Children

CONTEXT: Evidence is emerging that preterm infants are at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). OBJECTIVES: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of ASD in preterm infants. DATA SOURCES: Medline (via PubMed and Ovid), Embase, PsycINFO, and relevant conference proceedings were searched in May 2017. STUDY SELECTION: Original studies in which researchers report on the prevalence of ASD using diagnostic tests in children born preterm were included. Studies in which researchers used only ASD screening tools were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION: Relevant data were extracted independently by 3 authors. RESULTS: Researchers in a total of 18 studies (3366 preterm infants) used ASD diagnostic tools. The median gestation, birth weight, and age at assessment were 28.0 weeks (range: 25.1–31.3 weeks), 1055 g (range: 719–1565 g), and 5.7 years (range: 1.5–21 years), respectively. Meta-analysis revealed that the overall prevalence rate for ASD was 7% (95% confidence interval: 4% to 9%). The funnel plot and Egger’s test revealed that there was probably no evidence of publication bias. LIMITATIONS: The limitations were significant heterogeneity and a lack of studies from middle- and low-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ASD is significantly high in the preterm population. Adequate resources are needed to improve the outcomes of these children.

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/142/3/e20180134.full.pdf

Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Preterm Infants: A Meta-analysis

The aim of this study was to carry out a preliminary examination of a research instrument developed specifically to collect cost information for individuals with autistic spectrum disorder. There is very little cost information on children or adults with autism or autism-related disorder, and no study appears to have carried out a specific cost collection in this area. Although some global cost estimates can be made, little is known about the cost implications of parental burden. By using different techniques to collect indirect costs, the study outlines a functional methodology. Results from this small pilot study point to considerable economic burden for parents and give some indication of the associated costs of autistic spectrum disorder.

Measuring the parental, service and cost impacts of children with autistic spectrum disorder: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the associations between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses and service use, caregiver time, and cost outcomes. METHODS: We used national data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey linked to the National Health Interview Survey and a study-specific survey to estimate the annual utilization and costs for health care, school, ASD-related therapy, family-coordinated services, as well as caregiver time in children aged 3 to 17 years, with and without parent-reported ASD. Regression analyses estimated the association between ASD diagnosis and cost, controlling for child gender, age, race/ethnicity, insurance status, household income, country region and urban/rural classification, and non–ASD-related illnesses. RESULTS: Children with parent-reported ASD had higher levels of health care office visits and prescription drug use compared with children without ASD (P < .05). A greater proportion of children in the ASD group used special educational services (76% vs 7% in the control group, P < .05). After adjusting for child demographic characteristics and non–ASD-associated illnesses, ASD was associated with $3020 (95% confidence interval [CI]: $1017–$4259) higher health care costs and $14 061 (95% CI: $4390–$24 302) higher aggregate non–health care costs, including $8610 (95% CI: $6595–$10 421) higher school costs. In adjusted analyses, parents who reported that their child had ASD did not have significantly higher out-of-pocket costs or spend more time on caregiving activities compared with control parents. CONCLUSIONS: The economic burden associated with ASD is substantial and can be measured across multiple sectors of our society. Previous analyses that focused on health care underestimated this economic burden, particularly for school systems.

Tara A. Lavelle

Papers

The economic burden of childhood autism spectrum disorders