2,515 research outputs found
Children with autism spectrum disorders and selective mutism [Corrigendum]
No full textSteffenburg H, Steffenburg S, Gillberg C, Billstedt E. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2018;14:1163–1169. The authors have identified errors in their paper Read the original article 
The ESSENCE in child psychiatry: early symptomatic syndromes eliciting neurodevelopmental clinical examinations
No full textESSENCE is the acronym explained in the title. While taxonomies, clinics and social benefits specialise in autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Tourette syndrome, kids display shared symptoms across many disorders, as Gillberg first pointed out in 1983. For example, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD are familial, and they overlap in kids and prevail into adulthood. Girls are diagnosed much later than boys. Thus, kids need to be evaluated in the following aspects by specialists: language, interrelatedness, coordination, attention, activity level, mood, sleep, feeding and general development. The sum prevalence of clinical threshold problems identified by ESSENCE is 5-7% of children under age 6. They need to be monitored for years as their behaviour changes and adapts. What first fits with ASD may evolve into ADHD that in turn overlaps with oppositional defiant disorder, which is frequently accompanied by anxiety, depression and substance use, and sometimes by tics indicative of Tourette syndrome. Learning problems are common in these children. Pediatric bipolar disorder is a somewhat controversial concept, but extremes of mood swings may occur in children with a family history of bipolar disorder. ADHD may be present in at least 20% of adult psychiatric patients, and even more so in substance abusers and in prisoners. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM 5) is reviewing this conglomerate of issues to arrive at a dimensional holistic approach similar to the logic of ESSENCE. The author envisions clinical centres that can offer this broad expertise from cradle to school, and perhaps longer. For further reading, please see references {1-2}
Autism and attachment disorder symptoms in the general population : Prevalence, overlap, and burden
No full textAcknowledgements: This work was supported by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government (CZG/2/565) and the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre. We are grateful to all of the participants and to the Growing up in Scotland team for their support with this study. Funding: The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this articlePeer reviewe
Does routine child health surveillance contribute to the early detection of children with pervasive developmental disorders? An epidemiological study in Kent, U.K.
No full textBACKGROUND: Recently changed guidelines for child health surveillance in the United Kingdom (U.K.) suggest targeted checks only, instead of the previously conducted routine or universal screening at 2 years and 3.5 years. There are concerns that these changes could lead to a delay in the detection of children with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Recent U.K. studies have suggested that the prevalence of PDD is much higher than previously estimated. This study establishes to which extent the routine checks contributed to the early detection and assessment of cases of PDD. Simultaneously we have evaluated the process involved and estimate the prevalence of PDD in our district. METHODS: Retrospective study design utilising community medical files. Headteachers of schools (n = 75) within Maidstone district (Kent) were asked to report all children with an established diagnosis of autism or PDD attending year 4 (born '91 and '92 / n = 2536) in October 2000 based on educational records. RESULTS: 59 schools (78.7%) took part in the study. A total of 33 children were reported. 21 fulfilled the inclusion criteria (12 falsely reported). The prevalences were (per 10,000): PDD 82.8 (male to female ratio 6:1), childhood autism 23.7, Asperger's syndrome 11.8 and autistic spectrum disorder 47.3. Co-existing medical conditions were noted in 14.3%; 52.4% were attending mainstream schools. In 63.2% of cases concerns--mainly in the area of speech and language development (SLD)--had been documented at the 2 year check. At the 3.5 year check concerns were noted in 94.1%--the main area was again SLD (76.5%), although behavioural abnormalities were becoming more frequent (47.1%). A total of 13 children (68.4%) were referred for further assessment as a direct result of the checks. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalences for different types of PDD were similar to figures published recently, but much higher than reported a few years ago. Analysis of our data suggests that routine surveillance is a valuable contributing factor for the early detection of PDD and thereby facilitates early intervention. Thus, if routine surveillance ceases, then an alternative method of early detection should be put in place
Children with autism spectrum disorders and selective mutism
No full textHanna Steffenburg, Suzanne Steffenburg, Christopher Gillberg, Eva Billstedt Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden Background: It has been suggested that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might be a “comorbid” condition in selective mutism (SM). Methods: In this retrospective study, we examined medical records of children with SM diagnosis (n=97) at a medical center specializing in assessment of ASD. Results: Mean age for onset of SM symptoms was 4.5 years and mean age at SM diagnosis was 8.8 years. SM was more common among girls (boy:girl ratio=2.7:1). We found that 63% of the study group had an ASD (no gender difference). The SM group with combined ASD had later onset of symptoms, higher age at diagnosis, more often a history of speech delay, and a higher proportion of borderline IQ or intellectual disability.Conclusion: The results highlight the risk of overlap between ASD and SM. Keywords: selective mutism, autism spectrum disorders, Asperger syndrome, autistic disorde
Neurobiological abnormalities in the first few years of life in individuals later diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder : A review of recent data
No full textPeer reviewe
A 6-year follow-up of children assessed for suspected autism spectrum disorder: parents’ experiences of society’s support
No full textGunilla Westman Andersson, Carmela Miniscalco, Nanna Gillberg Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden Background: Early support and interventions are suggested to be important for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental problems and their families. Parents are described to have a burdensome life situation where the child’s problems have a great impact on the family’s well-being. Aim: To obtain increased knowledge of parents’ experiences of support and interventions 6 years after their child was assessed for ASD. Methods and procedures: A semi-structured questionnaire was sent to all parents (n=101) whose preschool children (<4 years of age) had been assessed for ASD about 6 years prior in Gothenburg, Sweden. The open-ended questions were analyzed thematically using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Outcomes and results: Parents of 56 children answered 30 questions about their experiences concerning support from society after the neuropsychiatric assessment. From the eight open-ended questions, three themes were identified: parental responsibility, resources and competence among actors in society, and inequality. The parents experienced that they had to take responsibility for meeting the needs of and securing support for their child. They found that the support given was unequal, uncoordinated, and with great variations between both geographical areas and professionals. Parents’ own resources were described as impacting the possibility to secure adequate interventions, resulting in unequal treatment of families depending on socioeconomic status. Several parents also expressed experiencing a lack of individualization of services and interventions. All children had received some kind of action from society, but not to the degree they had wished for when the children got their ASD diagnosis. Conclusion and implications: The essence of parents’ comments was the experience of authorities and societal actors trying to push the responsibility onto someone else. The study indicates a need for continuous longitudinal support for children identified with neurodevelopmental problems before the age of 3 years. This requires collaboration and coordination between different societal bodies. Keywords: ASD, children, parents, support, interventions, coordinatio
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