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Impact of multiple co‐occurring emotional and behavioural conditions on children with autism and their families
Author(s) -
Dovgan Kristen,
Mazurek Micah O.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1468-3148
pISSN - 1360-2322
DOI - 10.1111/jar.12590
Subject(s) - respite care , autism , anxiety , affect (linguistics) , psychology , autism spectrum disorder , clinical psychology , depression (economics) , mental health , psychiatry , medicine , physical therapy , communication , economics , macroeconomics
Background Comorbid conditions are very common in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and can affect school performance, adaptive skills and peer relationships. Comorbid conditions place strain on the family as well as the individual with ASD. This project aimed to determine the affect of comorbid conditions over and above child and family characteristics. Methods The present authors examined 3,055 cases of children with ASD who had varying numbers of comorbid conditions (i.e., ADHD, depression, anxiety or behaviour problems). Results Multiple comorbid conditions did have a unique impact on difficulties accessing services. A greater number of comorbid conditions impacted daily activity participation, but not a family's receipt of mental health care or respite, work changes or number of weekly hours dedicated to caring for a child with ASD. Conclusions Families, practitioners, paraprofessionals and educators of children with autism should address comorbid conditions to ensure both child and family well‐being.