Ethnicity and age of initial symptom onset as predictors of neurocognitive performance and adaptive functioning among children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Abstract
The goal of the present study was to better understand the role that ethnicity and age of initial reported symptom onset play in predicting neurocognitive performance and adaptive functioning among a group of ethnically heterogeneous children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as defined by the forthcoming Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - 5th Edition. 83 children, who participated in the National Institute of Mental Health's Autism Genetics Initiative study, were administered Wechsler Intelligence tests and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales – Adaptive Behavior Composite (VABC) scores and Daily Living Scale. While study hypotheses were not supported, hierarchical analyses revealed that Age of Reported Symptom Onset significantly and positively predicted VABC scores, indicating that children diagnosed with an ASD at an older age had higher adaptive functioning skills. The discussion highlights the importance of educating ethnic minority and majority parents of the telltale developmental deficits associated with ASD.
Subject Area
Developmental psychology|Clinical psychology
Recommended Citation
Rodriguez, Isabel Alexa, "Ethnicity and age of initial symptom onset as predictors of neurocognitive performance and adaptive functioning among children with Autism Spectrum Disorders" (2013). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3564956.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3564956
