Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience high rates of anxiety, sensory processing problems, and gastrointestinal
(GI) problems; however, the associations among these symptoms in children with ASD have not been previously examined. The
current study examined bivariate and multivariate relations among anxiety, sensory over-responsivity, and chronic GI problems
in a sample of 2,973 children with ASD enrolled in the Autism Treatment Network (ages 2–17 years, 81.6 % male). Twenty-four
percent of the sample experienced at least one type of chronic GI problem (constipation, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea,
and/or nausea lasting three or more months). Children with each type of GI problem had significantly higher rates of both
anxiety and sensory over-responsivity. Sensory over-responsivity and anxiety were highly associated, and each provided unique
contributions to the prediction of chronic GI problems in logistic regression analyses. The results indicate that anxiety,
sensory over-responsivity and GI problems are possibly interrelated phenomenon for children with ASD, and may have common
underlying mechanisms.
(GI) problems; however, the associations among these symptoms in children with ASD have not been previously examined. The
current study examined bivariate and multivariate relations among anxiety, sensory over-responsivity, and chronic GI problems
in a sample of 2,973 children with ASD enrolled in the Autism Treatment Network (ages 2–17 years, 81.6 % male). Twenty-four
percent of the sample experienced at least one type of chronic GI problem (constipation, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea,
and/or nausea lasting three or more months). Children with each type of GI problem had significantly higher rates of both
anxiety and sensory over-responsivity. Sensory over-responsivity and anxiety were highly associated, and each provided unique
contributions to the prediction of chronic GI problems in logistic regression analyses. The results indicate that anxiety,
sensory over-responsivity and GI problems are possibly interrelated phenomenon for children with ASD, and may have common
underlying mechanisms.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-12
- DOI 10.1007/s10802-012-9668-x
- Authors
- Micah O. Mazurek, Department of Health Psychology and Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Missouri – Columbia, 205 Portland Street, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
- Roma A. Vasa, Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Luther G. Kalb, Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Stephen M. Kanne, Department of Pediatrics, Psychology Section, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Daniel Rosenberg, The EMMES Corporation, Rockville, MD, USA
- Amy Keefer, Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Donna S. Murray, The Kelly O’Leary Center of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Division of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Brian Freedman, Center for Disabilities Studies, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
- Lea Ann Lowery, Department of Occupational Therapy and Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
- Journal Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
- Online ISSN 1573-2835
- Print ISSN 0091-0627