Temperament and its relationship to autistic symptoms in a high-risk infant sib cohort.
The present study prospectively investigated early temperamental profiles and their associations with autistic symptoms in high-risk infants (N = 138) with an older sibling with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and low-risk infants (N = 73) with no family history of ASD. Children who were diagnosed with ASD at 36 months were distinguished from non-ASD sibs and controls by a temperament profile marked by lower positive affect, higher negative affect and difficulty controlling attention and behavior, which we labeled Effortful Emotion Regulation. This profile also distinguished the non-ASD sib group from the control group. Children with ASD were distinguished from both of the other two groups by a temperament profile of low Behavioral Approach (lower sensitivity to "social" reward cues). Low levels of Behavioral Approach were associated with a higher number of ASD symptoms, even after taking into account IQ, sex and group membership. Finally, a cluster analysis revealed two ASD subgroups distinguished by number of ASD symptoms, IQ, age of diagnosis and scores on the Behavioral Approach profile. These findings suggest that temperament may be a useful framework for understanding the emergence of ASD early in life.
Garon
Nancy
N
IWK Health Centre, Nova Scotia, Canada. nancy.garon@iwk.nshealth.ca
Bryson
Susan E
SE
Zwaigenbaum
Lonnie
L
Smith
Isabel M
IM
Brian
Jessica
J
Roberts
Wendy
W
Szatmari
Peter
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D035781:Siblings; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament