Gastrointestinal problems in children with autism, developmental delays or typical development.
Stomach pain is common in autism and shows up as irritability and stereotypy, so screen every intake.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team asked parents of 2-17 year olds to fill out a health survey.
They compared three groups: autism, developmental delay, and typical kids.
Parents checked boxes for tummy pain, constipation, diarrhea, and food allergies.
What they found
Kids with autism or delays had far more GI complaints than typical peers.
Within the autism group, those with GI pain also scored higher on irritability, withdrawal, and hyperactivity.
The link stayed strong even after the researchers controlled for age and diet.
How this fits with other research
Kurokawa et al. (2021) later added an ADHD group and found the same GI-behavior link.
Their data show GI discomfort and sensory issues each worsen behavior scores, so both need checks.
Barnhill et al. (2020) tested one boy with ASD and Fragile X on a special diet; his GI pain and behavior both improved, giving a small hint at treatment.
Cotton et al. (2006) used the same parent-survey method but asked about sleep instead of stomach issues; together the papers paint a picture of hidden medical aches driving daytime behavior.
Why it matters
If a client hits, flops, or repeats motions, ask Mom about constipation, loose stools, or belly holding.
A simple parent checklist takes two minutes and can flag pain that looks like "problem behavior." Treat the gut first, then retake your ABC data.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
To compare gastrointestinal (GI) problems among children with: (1) autism spectrum disorder (ASD), (2) developmental delay (DD) and (3) typical development (TD), GI symptom frequencies were obtained for 960 children from the CHildhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE) study. We also examined scores on five Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) subscales comparing ASD children with high versus low frequency GI symptoms. Compared to TD children, those with ASD [aOR 7.92 (4.89-12.85)] and DD [aOR 4.55 (2.51-8.24)] were more likely to have at least one frequent GI symptom. Restricting to ASD children, those with frequent abdominal pain, gaseousness, diarrhea, constipation or pain on stooling scored worse on irritability, social withdrawal, stereotypy, and hyperactivity compared with children having no frequent GI symptoms. Frequent GI problems affect young children with ASD and DD more commonly than those with TD. Maladaptive behaviors correlate with GI problems, suggesting these comorbidities require attention.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2014 · doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2011.07.013