Potential Risk Factors for the Development of Self-Injurious Behavior among Infants at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Adele F Dimian; Kelly N Botteron; Stephen R Dager; Jed T Elison; Annette M Estes; John R Pruett Jr; Robert T Schultz; Lonnie Zwaigenbaum; Joseph Piven; Jason J Wolff; IBIS Network

doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3057-9

Potential Risk Factors for the Development of Self-Injurious Behavior among Infants at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

J Autism Dev Disord. 2017 May;47(5):1403-1415. doi: 10.1007/s10803-017-3057-9.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, 56 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
² Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
³ Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁴ Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
⁵ Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁶ Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
⁸ Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁹ Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, 56 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA. jjwolff@umn.edu.

Abstract

Prevalence of self-injurious behavior (SIB) is as high as 50% among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Identification of risk factors for the development of SIB is critical to early intervention and prevention. However, there is little empirical research utilizing a prospective design to identify early risk factors for SIB. The purpose of this study was to evaluate behavioral characteristics predicting SIB at age 2 years among 235 infants at high familial risk for ASD. Logistic regression results indicated that presence of SIB or proto-SIB and lower developmental functioning at age 12 months significantly predicted SIB at 24 months. A pattern of persistent SIB over this period was associated with a diagnosis of autism and poorer cognitive and adaptive outcomes.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Infants; Repetitive behavior; Risk factors; Self-injurious behavior.

Publication types

Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

Autism Spectrum Disorder / psychology*
Child Development
Child, Preschool
Developmental Disabilities / psychology
Female
Humans
Infant
Logistic Models
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Prevalence
Prospective Studies
Risk Factors
Self-Injurious Behavior / etiology
Self-Injurious Behavior / psychology*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding