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Changes in diagnosis rates and behavioural traits of autism spectrum disorder over time

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Ginny Russell ,
Stephan Collishaw ,
Jean Golding ,
Susan E. Kelly  and
Tamsin Ford
Ginny Russell*
Affiliation:
Institute of Health Research, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
Stephan Collishaw
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
Jean Golding
Affiliation:
Centre for Child & Adolescent Health, School of Social & Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
Susan E. Kelly
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology, School of Social Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
Tamsin Ford
Affiliation:
Institute of Health Research, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
*
Ginny Russell, Institute of Health Research, University of Exeter Medical School, South Cloisters, St Luke's Campus, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK. Email: g.russell@ex.ac.uk
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Abstract

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Background

The increased proportion of UK children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been attributed to improved identification, rather than true increase in incidence.

Aim

To explore whether the proportion of children with diagnosis of ASD and/or the proportion with associated behavioural traits had increased over a 10-year period.

Method

A cross-cohort comparison using regression to compare prevalence of diagnosis and behavioural traits over time. Participants were children aged 7 years assessed in 1998/1999 (n=8139) and 2007/2008 (n=13831).

Results

During 1998/1999, 1.09% (95% CI 0.86–1.37) of children were reported as having ASD diagnosis compared with 1.68% (95% CI 1.42–2.00) in 2007/2008: risk ratio (RR)=1.55 (95% CI 1.17–2.06), P=0.003. The proportion of children in the population with behavioural traits associated with ASD was also larger in the later cohort: RR=1.61 (95% CI 1.35–1.92), P<0.001. Increased odds of diagnosis at the later time point was partially accounted for by adjusting for the increased proportion of children with ASD-type traits.

Conclusions

Increased ASD diagnosis may partially reflect increase in rates of behaviour associated with ASD and/or greater parent/teacher recognition of associated behaviours.

Type
Research Article
Information
BJPsych Open , Volume 1 , Issue 2 , October 2015 , pp. 110 - 115
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015

Footnotes

Declaration of interest

None.

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