OBJECTIVE: This study describes and compares the severity of DSM-IV symptoms in preschool children with diagnosed pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), clinic controls, and two community-based samples. METHOD: Parents (/and teachers) completed the early child inventory-4 (ECI-4), a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale for four samples: PDD (n = 172/160) and nonPDD psychiatric clinic referrals (n=135/101) and youngsters in regular (n=507/407) and special (n =64/140) early childhood programs. Children ranged in age from 3 to 5 years old. RESULTS: With the exception of conduct problems, the PDD group generally received higher symptom severity ratings than the regular early childhood group, but the pattern of differences compared with the other two groups often varied by type of symptom and informant. Teachers rated the PDD and nonPDD clinic groups as having equally severe ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms. Teachers rated the PDD group as having more severe anxiety and depression symptoms than parents. The Asperger group was rated by both informants as more oppositional than the autism and PDDNOS subgroups. Teachers rated males in the regular early childhood sample as having more severe ADHD and aggressive symptoms than females, but this was not the case for the PDD sample. CONCLUSION: Preschoolers with PDD exhibit more severe DSM-IV psychiatric symptoms than children in regular and special early childhood programs, and to some extent nonPDD psychiatric referrals. The concept of comorbidity warrants further exploration, as does informant-specific syndromes as validators of diagnostic constructs.
OBJECTIVE: This study describes and compares the severity of DSM-IV symptoms in preschool children with diagnosed pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), clinic controls, and two community-based samples. METHOD: Parents (/and teachers) completed the early child inventory-4 (ECI-4), a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale for four samples: PDD (n = 172/160) and nonPDD psychiatric clinic referrals (n=135/101) and youngsters in regular (n=507/407) and special (n =64/140) early childhood programs. Children ranged in age from 3 to 5 years old. RESULTS: With the exception of conduct problems, the PDD group generally received higher symptom severity ratings than the regular early childhood group, but the pattern of differences compared with the other two groups often varied by type of symptom and informant. Teachers rated the PDD and nonPDD clinic groups as having equally severe ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms. Teachers rated the PDD group as having more severe anxiety and depression symptoms than parents. The Asperger group was rated by both informants as more oppositional than the autism and PDDNOS subgroups. Teachers rated males in the regular early childhood sample as having more severe ADHD and aggressive symptoms than females, but this was not the case for the PDD sample. CONCLUSION: Preschoolers with PDD exhibit more severe DSM-IV psychiatric symptoms than children in regular and special early childhood programs, and to some extent nonPDD psychiatric referrals. The concept of comorbidity warrants further exploration, as does informant-specific syndromes as validators of diagnostic constructs.
Authors: J V Lavigne; R D Gibbons; K K Christoffel; R Arend; D Rosenbaum; H Binns; N Dawson; H Sobel; C Isaacs Journal: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry Date: 1996-02 Impact factor: 8.829
Authors: Stelios Georgiades; Peter Szatmari; Eric Duku; Lonnie Zwaigenbaum; Susan Bryson; Wendy Roberts; Eric Fombonne; Pat Mirenda; Isabel Smith; Tracy Vaillancourt; Joanne Volden; Charlotte Waddell; Ann Thompson Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2011-10
Authors: Marja-Leena Mattila; Tuula Hurtig; Helena Haapsamo; Katja Jussila; Sanna Kuusikko-Gauffin; Marko Kielinen; Sirkka-Liisa Linna; Hanna Ebeling; Risto Bloigu; Leena Joskitt; David L Pauls; Irma Moilanen Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2010-09