Early Childhood Aggression in Autistic and Non-Autistic Preschoolers: Prevalence, Topography, and Relationship to Emotional Reactivity.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Despite heightened rates of aggressive behaviors among older autistic youth relative to non-autistic peers, less is known about these behaviors during early childhood. This study included 3 objectives to address this gap: (1) to establish the prevalence and topography (frequency, severity, type, context) of aggressive behaviors in a large sample of preschool-aged children using a developmentally sensitive parent-report measure; (2) to identify clinical correlates of aggression; and (3) to investigate whether different subgroups of autistic children can be identified based on their profiles of aggression, emotional reactivity, and autism traits.

Method

Data were analyzed from parents of 1,199 children 2 to 5 years of age (n = 622 autistic children) who completed the

SUBMITTER: Sivathasan S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11562542 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature