title: Can parents' concerns predict autism spectrum disorder? A prospective study of high-risk siblings from 6 to 36 months of age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This prospective study characterized parents' concerns about infants at high risk for developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD; each with an older sibling with ASD) at multiple time points in the first 2 years, and assessed their relation to diagnostic outcome at 3 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents of low-risk controls (LR) and high-risk infant siblings (HR) reported any concerns that they had regarding their children's development between 6 and 24 months of age regarding sleep, diet, sensory behavior, gross/fine motor skills, repetitive movements, communication, communication regression, social skills, play, and behavioral problems, using a parent concern form designed for this study. At 3 years of age, an independent, gold-standard diagnostic assessment for ASD was conducted for all participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As predicted, parents of HR children who received an ASD diagnosis reported more concerns than parents of LR and HR children who did not have ASD. The total number of concerns predicted a subsequent diagnosis of ASD as early as 12 months within the HR group. Concerns regarding sensory behavior and motor development predicted a subsequent diagnosis of ASD as early as 6 months, whereas concerns about social communication and repetitive behaviors did not predict diagnosis of ASD until after 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parent-reported concerns can improve earlier recognition of ASD in HR children.
authors.affiliation: University of Alberta and the Autism Research Centre in the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: sacrey@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Lori-Ann R
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sacrey
authors.affiliation: University of Alberta and the Autism Research Centre in the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Lonnie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zwaigenbaum
authors.affiliation: Dalhousie University/IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bryson
authors.affiliation: Bloorview Research Institute in Toronto; University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brian
authors.affiliation: Dalhousie University/IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Isabel M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szatmari
authors.affiliation: Kinark Child and Family Services in Markham, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roncadin
authors.affiliation: Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garon
authors.affiliation: University of Alberta and the Autism Research Centre in the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Ontario.
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vaillancourt
authors.affiliation: Dalhousie University/IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.affiliation: Bloorview Research Institute in Toronto.
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: MacKinnon
authors.affiliation: Bloorview Research Institute in Toronto.
authors.forename: Sanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jilderda
authors.affiliation: Dalhousie University/IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Vickie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Armstrong
mesh_terms: D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000067290:Behavior Rating Scale; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology*; D066107:Social Skills
keywords: autism spectrum disorder; high-risk siblings; parent concern; prospective