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SYMPTOM DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDHOOD ONSET SCHIZOPHRENIA
Author(s) -
Watkins John M.,
Asarnow Robert F.,
Tanguay Peter E.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1988.tb00759.x
Subject(s) - psychology , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , psychosis , autism , age of onset , autism spectrum disorder , childhood autism rating scale , rating scale , childhood schizophrenia , cognition , psychiatry , pediatrics , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , medicine , disease , pathology
Symptom development from birth to 12 years of age was examined in 18 children who met DSM‐III criteria for schizophrenia with onset before 10 years of age. Using a follow‐back design, symptom development was rated at each of four age levels using a DSM‐III Symptom Rating Scale and the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist. Results revealed a gradual developmental unfolding of a broad spectrum of symptoms affecting social, cognitive, sensory and motor functioning and beginning many years before the appearance of schizophrenic symptoms–usually in early infancy. Prior to 6 years of age, severe language deficits and motor development problems were each found in 72% of the sample and symptoms of infantile autism were found in 39% of the sample. Onset of schizophrenia occurred at an earlier age for children with a history of autistic symptoms during infancy than for other children in the sample. Schizophrenia as defined by DSM‐III was entirely absent before 6 years of age.