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Using Teacher Ratings to Investigate Developmental Regression as a Potential Indicator of School-Age Symptoms in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

Among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have a history of parent-reported developmental regression, or early skill loss, little is known about core-ASD symptoms (i.e., social communication, restricted/repetitive behaviors) and emotional/behavioral (E/B) symptoms during the school-age years. Study aims were to investigate whether early skill loss (i.e., ≤ 36 months old) was an indicator of heightened risk for later, school-based emotional and behavioral difficulties during the school-age years. Differences in teacher ratings for students with ASD from various age ranges (early elementary, late elementary/middle school, high school), with and without parent-reported developmental regression, were examined. Data were analyzed from teacher ratings for students with ASD (n = 951) on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and ASEBA Teacher Rating Form (TRF). Students’ families were participants in the multi-site Simons Simplex Collection (SSC), and students had study-confirmed clinical diagnoses of ASD. Overall, ANCOVA indicated few significant effects of developmental regression on teacher ratings of core-ASD symptoms or on ratings of internalizing or externalizing behavior problems, even when controlling for cognitive ability. These results, based on the perspective of teachers who are unaware of (i.e., “blinded” to) child regression status, were surprising yet suggest that early skill loss may not be an indicator of greater risk for some difficulties during the school-age years. Future work is needed to further investigate long-term outcomes among those with ASD who had an early skill loss, and teachers offer unique and important perspectives that may enhance future research in this area.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all of the families at the participating Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) sites, as well as the principal investigators (A. Beaudet, R. Bernier, J. Constantino, E. Cook, E. Fombonne, D. Geschwind, R. Goin-Kochel, E. Hanson, D. Grice, A. Klin, D. Ledbetter, C. Lord, C. Martin, D. Martin, R. Maxim, J. Miles, O. Ousley, K. Pelphrey, B. Peterson, J. Piggot, C. Saulnier, M. State, W. Stone, J. Sutcliffe, C. Walsh, Z. Warren, E. Wijsman). We appreciate obtaining access to phenotypic data on SFARI Base. Approved researchers can obtain the SSC population dataset described in this study (https://ordering.base.sfari.org/~browse_collection/archive[sfari_collection_v15_1]/ui:view()) by applying at https://base.sfari.org.

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  1. Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences, University of Houston, 3657 Cullen Blvd., Room 491, Houston, TX, 77204-5029, USA

    Sarah S. Mire, Jacqueline R. Anderson, Jamie K. Manis, K. R. Hughes & Natalie S. Raff

  2. Psychology Section, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 8080 Stadium Drive, Houston, TX, 77054, USA

    Robin P. Goin-Kochel

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  1. Sarah S. Mire
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Correspondence to Sarah S. Mire.

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Mire, S.S., Anderson, J.R., Manis, J.K. et al. Using Teacher Ratings to Investigate Developmental Regression as a Potential Indicator of School-Age Symptoms in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. School Mental Health 10, 77–90 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-018-9251-x

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