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Parental Misattribution of Environmental Stress Reaction Symptoms to Autism
- Source :
- Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. 42:264-271
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2020.
-
Abstract
- OBJECTIVE This research aims to characterize parental misattribution to autism of challenging child behaviors related to environmental stress. METHODS To identify differences between parental concern about behavioral challenges and child diagnoses, researchers reviewed records of children assessed at a child development clinic (N = 50, mean age = 4.38), genetics clinic (N = 26, mean age = 4.59), and therapeutic preschool (N = 30, mean age = 3.75), comparing referral information with child diagnoses postassessment. Surveys of parental and teacher concerns regarding children at therapeutic preschool who were not referred for consultation (N = 49) were reviewed and compared with the referral population to assess for referral bias. RESULTS A high rate of parental concern about autism/neurodevelopmental disabilities was found in therapeutic preschool referrals (63%) and the child development clinic (74%), with fewer concerns in the genetics clinic (19%), in contrast with substantially lower numbers ultimately diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (13%, 32%, and 8%, respectively). Across clinics, parents demonstrated greater concern about autism than environmental stress. In all clinics, more children had symptoms related to environmental stress than referrals suggested. Seventy-seven percent of children in the therapeutic preschool, 30% in the child development clinic, and 47% in the genetics clinic were diagnosed with trauma and stressor-related disorders. The results from children not referred for consultation suggest that referral bias plays a role in this phenomenon because parents of these children express similar levels of concern about their child's development (32%) and challenges related to environmental stressors (29%). CONCLUSION The results suggest a tendency for parents seeking consultation to attribute to autism behavioral symptoms related to environmental stress.
- Subjects :
- Parents
medicine.medical_specialty
Referral
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Population
Environmental stress
03 medical and health sciences
Child Development
0302 clinical medicine
030225 pediatrics
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Humans
Medicine
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
Misattribution of memory
Autistic Disorder
Child
education
Psychiatry
education.field_of_study
Schools
business.industry
05 social sciences
Stressor
medicine.disease
Child development
Psychiatry and Mental health
Autism spectrum disorder
Child, Preschool
Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
Autism
business
050104 developmental & child psychology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 0196206X
- Volume :
- 42
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....a21a07e6c3426220d413ade9a862f37f