A Longitudinal Study of Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Before Age Three: School Services at Three Points Time for Three Levels of Outcome Disability

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 48; no. 11; pp. 3747 - 3760
• Main Authors: Towle, Patricia O., Vacanti-Shova, Karyn, Higgins-D’Alessandro, Ann, Ausikaitis, Ashley, Reynolds, Caitlyn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.11.2018; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder - diagnosis; Autism Spectrum Disorder - rehabilitation; Autistic children; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Care and treatment; Child; Child and School Psychology; Child, Preschool; Children; Classrooms; Diagnosis; Disability; Disability Evaluation; Education; Education, Special - methods; Education, Special - standards; Educational Environment; Elementary Education; Female; High functioning; Humans; Intervention; Kindergarten; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Neurosciences; Original Paper; Parents; Pediatrics; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Preschool children; Preschool Education; Psychology; Public Health; Questionnaires; Severity (of Disability); Special education; Student Placement; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Children; ASD; Longitudinal; Educational placement; Educational services; Adaptive behavior
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3606-x

This study follows 70 children determined to have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) before age three (Time 1). Parents filled out questionnaires and standardized measures about their child when he/she was school-aged (Time 2), including information about their children’s preschool, kindergarten, and grade school educational settings. At Time 2, the researchers placed children in three diagnostic groups of No ASD, ASD-Higher Functioning, and ASD-Lower Functioning. Retrospective results showed that most children were receiving intensive services at the preschool level. In kindergarten, there was some divergence among the three groups, with more intensive services continuing for the ASD groups. At school age, classroom placement and services reflected service patterns that were consistent with these three levels of disability.