Clinical characteristics of children with ASD and comorbid ADHD: Association with social impairment and externalizing and internalizing behaviours

• Published in: Research in developmental disabilities Vol. 113; p. 103930
• Main Authors: Dellapiazza, Florine, Audras-Torrent, Lee, Michelon, Cécile, Baghdadli, Amaria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: Attention deficit disorder; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autism spectrum disorders; Child; Children; Comorbidities; Human health and pathology; Humans; Life Sciences; Problem Behavior; Pulmonology and respiratory tract; Social impairments; Attention deficit disorder; ADHD; IQ; ASD+ADHD; NDD; TD; Autism spectrum disorders; ASD; Comorbidities; SRS; CBCL; ADI-R; ADOS; Children; DSM; Social impairments
• ISSN: 0891-4222; 1873-3379
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2021.103930

•Children with neurodevelopmental disorder presented more social impairment, externalizing/internalizing behaviours than TD.•Internalizing behaviours were more often associated with ASD severity and externalizing behaviours with ADHD severity.•Our results stress the importance of checking for comorbidities during the diagnosis of ASD or ADHD and to take into account such comorbidities in the intervention plan. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are frequently occurring conditions that are often associated (ASD + ADHD). However, there are few comparative studies concerning the clinical presentation in patients formally diagnosed with both ASD and ADHD. Here, we aimed to 1) compare social impairment and externalizing/internalizing behavioural problems across four groups of children: ASD + ADHD, ASD alone, ADHD alone, and typical development and 2) examine their bidirectional relationship with ASD and/or ADHD symptoms. This study included 186 participants from 6 to 12 years of age: single ASD (n = 98), ASD + ADHD (n = 29), single ADHD (n = 28), and TD (n = 31). The results showed that children in the ASD + ADHD and single ASD groups had a higher level of social impairment than those in the single ADHD group. In addition, children in the single ADHD group presented a greater attention deficit than those in the single ASD group. Externalizing /internalizing behaviours were more frequent in all groups with neuro-developmental disorders than in typical development. In addition, externalizing behavioural problems were related to ADHD severity in the ASD + ADHD and single ADHD groups, whereas internalizing behaviours were related to ASD severity. These findings highlight the specific needs of children who have both ASD and ADHD and underscore the necessity of individualizing their interventions.