Sociodemographic and diagnostic comparisons between children identified with autism with and without a previous autism diagnosis

Abstract

Some children that may display the behaviors associated with autism have not been diagnosed with the disorder. These children are at risk for not receiving treatments that have been shown to improve outcomes in children with autism. This study used population based surveillance data to investigate sociodemographic and diagnostic differences between children that had a diagnosis of autism before they came into the surveillance system and children that did not have a diagnosis of autism before they came into the surveillance system. This study also included a review of the records of children without a previous diagnosis of autism. Results showed that there were differences between the two groups in maternal age, maternal education, race, age of child, abstraction source, and primary exceptionality.