Premium
What happens to children with PDD when they grow up? Prospective follow‐up of 219 children from preschool age to mid‐childhood
Author(s) -
Baghdadli A,
Picot MC,
Michelon C,
Bodet J,
Per E,
Burstezjn C,
Hochmann J,
Lazartigues A,
Pry R,
Aussilloux C
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2006.00898.x
Subject(s) - autism , developmental psychology , psychology , child development , developmental milestone , developmental disorder , early childhood , adaptive functioning , el niño , pediatrics , prospective cohort study , clinical psychology , medicine , surgery
Objective: To describe the psychological development of children with pervasive developmental disorders over a period of 3 years and to identify the factors linked to their developmental paths. Method: The study was a collaborative and prospective follow‐up study of 219 preschoolers. Retrospective data and enrollment data were collected at the beginning of the study and 3 years later. Results: We observed high variability in the short‐term outcomes of preschoolers. In line with previous research, our results showed that intellectual, linguistic and adaptive functioning were useful for predicting outcome. The severity of a child's autistic symptoms appears to be related to his or her future development. These variables can therefore be used as predictors of outcome for preschoolers with autism. Conclusion: Developmental and symptom changes in young children with autism should not be overlooked and need to be assessed regularly in view of choosing suitable servicing programs.