Age and gender-related differences in emotional and behavioural problems and autistic features in children and adolescents with Down syndrome: a survey-based study of 674 individuals.
One in three youth with Down syndrome screen positive for ASD traits and half struggle with peer play—screen early and target social skills.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Parents of 674 children and teens with Down syndrome filled out two short forms.
One form asked about autism traits. The other asked about peer problems, worry, and hyperactivity.
The team looked at how age and gender changed the scores.
What they found
Roughly one in three kids scored above the autism cut-off.
About half had peer problems. One in three showed high hyperactivity or inattention.
Older boys had slightly more problems, but the jump was small.
How this fits with other research
Schwichtenberg et al. (2013) saw the same pattern but found only one in five above the autism cut-off. The larger 2017 sample doubles that rate, so plan for more screenings.
Amaral et al. (2017) compared DS kids who pass the autism screen with kids who have a real ASD diagnosis. They found milder social gaps, so a high score does not always mean ASD.
Godfrey et al. (2019) looked deeper and showed the DS+ASD group has equal social and repetitive scores, unlike typical ASD. Use their profile to shape goals.
Why it matters
Expect at least one child in every DS trio to need an autism check. Add the SCQ to your intake packet. When scores are high, probe social skills first; they lag behind other areas. Share the peer-problem stat with teachers so they build buddy systems early.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Recent studies have indicated an increased risk of autism, behavioural and emotional problems and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in individuals with Down syndrome. METHOD: In a large-scale survey-based study, we examined the rates of these problems and their relationship to age and gender, in a sample of 674 individuals (4-18 years) with Down syndrome. The relationship with IQ level was also explored in a subsample (n = 175). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Social Communication Questionnaire were used to assess behavioural and emotional problems and autism traits. RESULTS: On the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, peer problems were the most frequently reported difficulty (48% > cut-off), followed by hyperactivity/inattention (34% > cut-off). On the Social Communication Questionnaire, 37% scored at or above cut-off (≥15) for autism spectrum disorder; 17% were at or above the suggested cut-off (≥22) for autism. Little association between age and behavioural or emotional problems or with severity of autistic symptomatology was found. However, peer problems were more common in adolescents than in junior school children (P < 0.001); Hyperactivity/inattention was less prevalent among adolescents (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: High rates of autistic features, emotional and behavioural problems are documented. These problems are related to age, gender and degree of intellectual disability.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2017 · doi:10.1111/jir.12342