Abstract
This study investigated the effect of age on communication and maladaptive behavior in autistic and mentally retarded children. Forty-seven autistic and 128 mentally retarded children in a special school served as subjects. The cross-sectional method was used to compare junior and senior groups, and ratings on communication skills and maladaptive behaviors were obtained from teachers. We found that the skills of comprehension and conversation in autistic children improved significantly with age, and speech improved somewhat. In spite of this improvement in communication skills, maladaptive behaviors in the autistic children other than hyperactivity did not change significantly with age. Withdrawal improved significantly with age in the mentally retarded children but not in the autistic children.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ando, H., & Yoshimura, I. Prevalence of maladaptive behavior in retarded children as a function of IQ and age.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 1978,6, 345–349.
Annell, A. L. The prognosis of psychotic syndromes in children: A follow-up study of 115 cases.Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 1963,39, 235–297.
Bartak, L., & Rutter, M. Differences between mentally retarded and normally intelligent autistic children.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1976,6, 109–120.
Bartak, L., Rutter, M., & Cox, A. A comparative study of infantile autism and specific developmental receptive language disorder: I. The children.British Journal of Psychiatry, 1975,126, 127–145.
Boucher, J. Alternation and sequencing behaviour, and response to novelty in autistic children.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 1977,18, 67–72.
Brown, J. L. Follow-up of children with atypical development (infantile psychosis).American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1963,33, 855–861.
Creak, E. M. Childhood psychosis: A review of 100 cases.British Journal of Psychiatry, 1963,109, 84–89.
DeMyer, M. K., Barton, S., DeMyer, W. E., Norton, J. A., Allen, J., & Steele, R. Prognosis in autism: A follow-up study.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1973,3, 199–246.
Eisenberg, L. The autistic child in adolescence.American Journal of Psychiatry, 1956,112, 607–612.
Etemad, J. G., & Szurek, S. A. A modified follow-up study of a group of psychotic children. In S. A. Szurek & I. N. Berlin (Eds.),Clinical studies in childhood psychosis. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1973.
Grossman, H. J.Manual on terminology and classification in mental retardation. Washington, D.C.: American Association on Mental Deficiency, 1973.
Havelkova, M. Follow-up study of 71 children diagnosed as psychotic in preschool age.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1968,38, 846–857.
Kanner, L. Autistic disturbances of affective contact.Nervous Child, 1943,2, 217–250.
Kanner, L. Follow-up study of eleven autistic children originally reported in 1943.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1971,1, 119–145.
Kanner, L., & Eisenberg, L. Notes on the follow-up studies of autistic children. In P. H. Hoch & J. Zubin (Eds.),Psychopathology of childhood. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1955.
Kanner, L., Rodriguez, A., & Ashenden, B. How far can autistic children go in matters of social adaptation?Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1972,2, 9–33.
Lotter, V. Social adjustment and placement of autistic children in Middlesex: A follow-up study.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1974,4, 11–32.
Mendelson, W., Johnson, N., & Stewart, M. A. Hyperactive children as teenagers: A followup study.Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1971,153, 273–279.
Menolascino, F. J., & Eaton, L. Psychoses of childhood: A five year follow-up study of experiences in a mental retardation clinic.American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 1967–1968,72, 370–380.
Mittler, P., Gillies, S., & Jukes, E. Prognosis in psychotic children: Report of a follow-up study.Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 1966,10, 73–83.
Prior, M., & MacMillan, M. B. Maintenance of sameness in children with Kanner's syndrome.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1973,3, 154–167.
Rees, S. C., & Taylor, A. Prognostic antecedents and outcome in a follow-up study of children with a diagnosis of childhood psychosis.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1975,5, 309–322.
Rutter, M. Speech disorders in a series of autistic children. In A. W. Franklin (Ed.),Children with communication problems. London: Pitman, 1965.
Rutter, M. Concepts of autism: A review of research.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 1968,9, 1–25.
Rutter, M., & Bartak, L. Causes of infantile autism: Some considerations from recent research.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1971,1, 20–32.
Rutter, M., Greenfeld, D., & Lockyer, L. A five to fifteen year follow-up study of infantile psychosis. II. Social and behavioural outcome.British Journal of Psychiatry, 1967,113, 1183–1199.
Rutter, M., & Lockyer, L. A five to fifteen year follow-up study of infantile psychosis. I. Description of sample.British Journal of Psychiatry, 1967,113, 1169–1182.
Weiss, G., Minde, K., Werry, J. S., Douglas, V., & Nemeth, E. Studies on the hyperactive child. VIII. Five-year follow-up.Archives of General Psychiatry, 1971,24, 409–414.
Wing, L., & Wing, J. K. Multiple impairments in early childhood autism.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1971,1, 256–266.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was supported in part by special grants from the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare for Research on Children with Abnormal Behaviors.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ando, H., Yoshimura, I. Effects of age on communication skill levels and prevalence of maladaptive behaviors in autistic and mentally retarded children. J Autism Dev Disord 9, 83–93 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01531295
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01531295