Lisa D Wiggins1, Cy Nadler2, Steven Rosenberg3, Eric Moody4, Nuri Reyes3, Ann Reynolds3, Aimee Alexander5, Julie Daniels6, Kathleen Thomas7, Ellen Giarelli8, Susan E Levy9. 1. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Electronic address: lwiggins@cdc.gov. 2. School of Medicine, University of Missouri - Kansas City, Kansas City, MO. 3. School of Medicine, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO. 4. Institute for Disabilities, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY. 5. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. 6. Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. 7. Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. 8. College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. 9. Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To explore how many pre-school aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) used psychotropic medication, child and geographic factors associated with psychotropic medication use, and how many children who used psychotropic medication did or did not ever receive behavior therapy. STUDY DESIGN: Children 2-5 years of age were enrolled from 2012 to 2016 in a multisite case-control study designed to investigate the development and risk factors of ASD. Children with a positive ASD screen or ASD diagnosis upon enrollment were asked to complete a comprehensive evaluation to determine ASD status and developmental level. Caregivers completed a Services and Treatments Questionnaire and multiple self-administered questionnaires to determine child use of psychotropic medication, ever receipt of behavior therapy, and presence of co-occurring symptoms. RESULTS: There were 763 children who were classified as ASD and had data collected on the Services and Treatments Questionnaire. Of those, 62 (8.1%) used psychotropic medication to treat behavioral symptoms and 28 (3.7%) were ≤3 years of age when medication was first started. Attention problems (aOR, 7.65; 95% CI, 3.41-16.1; P < .001) and study site (aOR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.04-6.56; P = .04) were significantly associated with psychotropic medication use after controlling for maternal race/ethnicity. More than one-half (59.7%) of those who used psychotropic medication did not ever receive behavior therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Many preschool-aged children with ASD who use psychotropic medication do not receive behavior therapy. Pediatricians are an important resource for children and families and can help facilitate behavioral treatment for children with ASD and other disorders.
OBJECTIVES: To explore how many pre-school aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) used psychotropic medication, child and geographic factors associated with psychotropic medication use, and how many children who used psychotropic medication did or did not ever receive behavior therapy. STUDY DESIGN: Children 2-5 years of age were enrolled from 2012 to 2016 in a multisite case-control study designed to investigate the development and risk factors of ASD. Children with a positive ASD screen or ASD diagnosis upon enrollment were asked to complete a comprehensive evaluation to determine ASD status and developmental level. Caregivers completed a Services and Treatments Questionnaire and multiple self-administered questionnaires to determine child use of psychotropic medication, ever receipt of behavior therapy, and presence of co-occurring symptoms. RESULTS: There were 763 children who were classified as ASD and had data collected on the Services and Treatments Questionnaire. Of those, 62 (8.1%) used psychotropic medication to treat behavioral symptoms and 28 (3.7%) were ≤3 years of age when medication was first started. Attention problems (aOR, 7.65; 95% CI, 3.41-16.1; P < .001) and study site (aOR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.04-6.56; P = .04) were significantly associated with psychotropic medication use after controlling for maternal race/ethnicity. More than one-half (59.7%) of those who used psychotropic medication did not ever receive behavior therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Many preschool-aged children with ASD who use psychotropic medication do not receive behavior therapy. Pediatricians are an important resource for children and families and can help facilitate behavioral treatment for children with ASD and other disorders.
Authors: Lisa D Wiggins; Ann Reynolds; Catherine E Rice; Eric J Moody; Pilar Bernal; Lisa Blaskey; Steven A Rosenberg; Li-Ching Lee; Susan E Levy Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2015-05
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