School Functions in Unaffected Siblings of Youths with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Journal
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Journal Volume
47
Journal Issue
10
Pages
3059-3071
Date Issued
2017
Author(s)
Abstract
This study investigated school functioning among unaffected siblings of youths with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and identified the correlates for school maladjustment. We recruited 66 youths with a clinical diagnosis of ASD, aged 8-19, their unaffected siblings and 132 typically developing controls (TD). We found that ASD youths had poorer school functions than unaffected siblings and TD. Unaffected siblings had poorer attitude toward schoolwork and more severe behavioral problems at school than TD. Several associated factors for different scholastic functional domains (i.e., academic performance, attitude toward school work, social interactions, behavioral problems) in the siblings included IQ, autistic traits, inattention/oppositional symptoms, sibling relationships, etc. Our findings suggest the need of assessing school functions in unaffected siblings of ASD. Clinical trial registration identifier: NCT01582256.
Publisher
Springer New York LLC
Type
journal article