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Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism
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Published on: March 27, 2012

Risk factors for self-injurious behaviours among 222 young children with autistic disorders

A Baghdadli1, C Pascal, S Grisi

  • 1Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Clinique Peyre-Plantade, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. cent-ress-autisme@chu-montpellier.fr

Journal of Intellectual Disability Research : JIDR
|December 4, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Self-injurious behaviors (SIBs) affect half of young children with autistic disorders. Key risk factors include younger age, perinatal issues, and greater autism severity, highlighting areas for early intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Background:

  • Self-injurious behaviors (SIBs) are a significant concern in children with autistic disorders.
  • Identifying risk factors is crucial for developing targeted interventions and support.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify specific risk factors associated with the occurrence of SIBs in young children diagnosed with autistic disorders.
  • To examine the relationship between SIBs and variables such as age, sex, adaptive skills, speech, medical conditions, autism severity, and parental social class.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective study involving 222 children under 7 years old who met ICD-10 criteria for infantile autism.
  • Data collection included demographic characteristics, medical history, speech level, degree of autism, and adaptive skills (communication, socialization, daily living).

Main Results:

  • Approximately 50% of the children studied exhibited SIBs, with 14.6% experiencing severe SIBs.
  • Identified risk factors for SIBs included younger chronological age, associated perinatal conditions, a higher degree of autism, and greater delays in daily living skills.
  • Parental social class, sex, and epilepsy were not found to be significant risk factors.

Conclusions:

  • Younger age, perinatal complications, and more severe autism symptoms are significant predictors of SIBs in young autistic children.
  • Understanding these risk factors can inform the development of early detection and intervention strategies for SIBs in this population.

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