Psychiatric and behavioral disorders in hospitalized preschoolers with developmental disabilities.

Doctors looked at the charts of 169 preschoolers who were already in the hospital for developmental delays. They wrote down every extra diagnosis each child had, both medical and mental-health. The goal was to see how many kids had more than one problem at the same time.

Almost three out of four children also had a medical illness on top of their delay. Psychiatric and behavior disorders were common too, but the exact mix changed with the child’s age and IQ level. In short, most hospitalized preschoolers with delays are carrying multiple labels.

Salazar et al. (2015) later asked the same question in autistic preschoolers and found an even higher rate—nine in ten had an extra psychiatric disorder. That extends this 1995 picture by showing the load stays heavy when you narrow the group to ASD.

Ewing et al. (2002) looked at Danish inpatients with autism and saw far fewer medical problems—only birth defects were elevated. The gap makes sense: the 1995 sample was broader “developmental delay,” while the Danish study was autism-only. Different entry rules, different numbers.

Katz et al. (2003) followed similar U.S. preschoolers for a year and found behavior problems stayed severe and stressed parents out. That longitudinal view extends the 1995 snapshot by showing these comorbidities don’t fade quickly.

If you assess a preschooler with delays in any medical setting, expect extra diagnoses and plan your time accordingly. Screen for medical issues that could worsen behavior, and gather both parent and teacher data—Thomas et al. (2004) show the two views rarely match. Finally, share the load with families; Katz et al. (2003) remind us parent stress climbs right alongside child problems.