title: Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder Followed for 2 Years: Those Who Gained and Those Who Lost the Most in Terms of Adaptive Functioning Outcome.
abstract: Clinical predictors of 2-year outcome in preschoolers with ASD were studied in a population-based group of very young children with ASD (n = 208). Children who gained the most (n = 30) and lost the most (n = 23), i.e., increased or decreased their adaptive functioning outcome according to the Vineland Composite Score between study entry (T1) and follow-up (T2), 2 years later were compared. Individual factors that differed significantly between the two outcome groups were cognitive level, age at referral, not passing expected milestones at 18 months, autistic type behavior problems and regression. However, logistic regression analysis showed that only cognitive level at T1 (dichotomized into IQ < 70 and IQ ≥ 70) made a unique statistically significant contribution to outcome prediction (p = <.001) with an odds ratio of 18.01. The findings have significant clinical implications in terms of information at diagnosis regarding clinical prognosis in ASD.
authors.affiliation: Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 411 19, Gothenburg, Sweden. asa.lundholm-hedvall@gnc.gu.se.|Department of Psychology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. asa.lundholm-hedvall@gnc.gu.se.
authors.forename: Åsa
authors.initials: Å
authors.lastname: Hedvall
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Joakim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Westerlund
authors.affiliation: Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 411 19, Gothenburg, Sweden.|Research and Development Centre, Skaraborgs´s Hospital, Skövde, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernell
authors.affiliation: Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 411 19, Gothenburg, Sweden.|Department of Speech and Language Pathology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Fritjof
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Norrelgen
authors.affiliation: Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 411 19, Gothenburg, Sweden.|Department of Speech and Language Pathology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.|CLINTEC, Division of Speech and Language Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Liselotte
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kjellmer
authors.affiliation: Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 411 19, Gothenburg, Sweden.|PRIMA Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Martina Barnevik
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.affiliation: Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 411 19, Gothenburg, Sweden.|Department of Pediatrics, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Liljeholmen, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lotta Höglund
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.affiliation: Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 411 19, Gothenburg, Sweden.|Department of Pediatric Neurology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mats A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.affiliation: Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 411 19, Gothenburg, Sweden. eva.billstedt@gnc.gu.se.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Billstedt
authors.affiliation: Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 411 19, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gillberg
mesh_terms: D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011379:Prognosis
keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Clinical characteristics; Outcome; Predictors; Preschool children