Oppositional Defiant Disorder as a Clinical Phenotype in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

To examine the validity of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) as a clinical phenotype distinct from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), parents and teachers completed a DSM-IVreferenced rating scale and a background questionnaire for 608 children (ages 3-12 years) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The ASD sample was separated into four groups: ODD, ADHD, ODD + ADHD, and neither (NONE). Comparison samples were non-ASD clinic (n = 326) and community (n > 800) controls. In the ASD sample, all three ODD/ ADHD groups were clearly differentiated from the NONE group, and the ODD + ADHD group had the most severe cooccurring symptoms, medication use, and environmental disadvantage. There were few differences between ASD + ODD and ASD + ADHD groups. Findings for ASD and control samples were similar, supporting overlapping mechanisms in the pathogenesis of ODD.

Developmental comorbidity in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

“…ODD'' stood out due to more severe co-occurring psychiatric symptoms and a higher use of psychotropic drugs. Furthermore, these patients were characterized by more environmental disadvantages, such as a single parent home (Gadow et al 2008;Guttmann-Steinmetz et al 2009). Addressing anxiety symptoms, boys with ''ASD ?…”

Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorder Behaviors in Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder With and Without Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Versus Several Comparison Samples

“…ASD (i.e., autistic disorder, Asperger's syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder-NOS) is commonly associated with ADHD (e.g., Frazier et al 2001;Goldstein and Schwebach 2004;Montes and Halterman 2007), with screening prevalence rates as high as 50% in referred samples . ADHD in children with ASD is often associated with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) (Gadow et al , 2008a and other types of aggression (e.g., Hughes et al 2002;Singh et al 2006). Children with ASD also often exhibit the symptoms of CMTD (Gadow and DeVincent 2005), and children with CMTD are reported to be at relatively higher risk for explosive outbursts (e.g., Budman 2006;Budman et al 2003).…”

Emotion regulation and internalizing symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorders

“…A D D R E S S developing population (Gadow et al, 2008). Yet, there is also a growing interest in internalizing symptoms such as anxiety and depression in children with ASD (Kuusikko et al, 2008;Russell and Sofronoff, 2005;Simonoff et al, 2008), emphasising the importance of studying this phenomenon at an early stage.…”