Homogeneous Subgroups of Young Children with Autism Improve Phenotypic Characterization in the Study to Explore Early Development

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Lisa D. Wiggins, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Lin H. Tian, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Susan E. Levy, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Catherine E. Rice, Emory University; Li-Ching Lee, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Laura Schieve, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Juhi Pandey, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Julie Daniels, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Lisa Blaskey, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Susan Hepburn, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus; Rebecca Landa, Kennedy Krieger Institute; Rebecca Edmondson-Pretzel, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; William Thompson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Language: English
• Date: 2017-11-01
• Publisher: Springer Verlag (Germany)
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC (outside the USA).
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3280-4
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• ISSN: 0162-3257
• Volume: 47
• Issue: 11
• Start Page: 3634
• End Page: 3645
• Grant/Funding Information: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.; This publication was supported by six cooperative agreements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cooperative Agreement Number U10DD000180, Colorado Department of Public Health; Cooperative Agreement Number U10DD000181, Kaiser Foundation Research Institute (CA); Cooperative Agreement Number U10DD000182, University of Pennsylvania; Cooperative Agreement Number U10DD000183, Johns Hopkins University; Cooperative Agreement Number U10DD000184, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Cooperative Agreement Number U10DD000498, Michigan State University.
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, General; Health Sciences, Human Development; Health Sciences, Epidemiology

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify homogenous classes of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to improve phenotypic characterization. Children were enrolled in the Study to Explore Early Development between 2 and 5 years of age. 707 children were classified with ASD after a comprehensive evaluation with strict diagnostic algorithms. Four classes of children with ASD were identified from latent class analysis: mild language delay with cognitive rigidity, mild language and motor delay with dysregulation, general developmental delay, and significant developmental delay with repetitive motor behaviors. We conclude that a four-class phenotypic model of children with ASD best describes our data and improves phenotypic characterization of young children with ASD. Implications for screening, diagnosis, and research are discussed.