title: The Millennium child with autism: early childhood trajectories for health, education and economic wellbeing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Most of what we know about children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is based on post-diagnostic, retrospective, self-select studies. Oftentimes, there is no direct comparison between trajectories of children with ASD and children without ASD.
  
  
  METHODS
  To circumvent both of these problems, the present secondary data analysis utilised a large-scale longitudinal general population survey of children born in the year 2000 (i.e. the Millennium Cohort Study; MCS; n = 18,522). Bi-annual MCS data were available from five data sweeps (children aged 9 months to 11 years of age).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre-diagnostic data showed early health problems differentiated children later diagnosed with autism from non-diagnosed peers. Prevalence was much higher than previously estimated (3.5% for 11-year olds). Post-diagnosis, trajectories deteriorated significantly for the children with ASD and their families in relation to education, health and economic wellbeing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings raise many issues for service delivery and the rights of persons with disabilities and their families.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behaviour Analysis, School of Education, Queen's University Belfast , Belfast , UK and.
authors.forename: Karola
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dillenburger
authors.forename: Julie-Ann
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Lyn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McKerr
authors.forename: Mickey
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keenan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Millennium Cohort Study; UK; applied behaviour analysis; autism spectrum disorder; parents; quality of life; secondary data analysis; service delivery