Network Structure of Autism Spectrum Disorder Behaviors and Its Evolution in Preschool Children: Insights from a New Longitudinal Network Analysis Method
- Resource Type
- Journal Articles
Reports - Research
- Authors
- Montazeri, Farhad (ORCID 0000-0001-8061-5184); Buitelaar, Jan K. (ORCID 0000-0001-8288-7757); Oosterling, Iris J.; de Bildt, Annelies (ORCID 0000-0002-4196-2404); Anderson, George M. (ORCID 0000-0002-9483-9151)
- Source
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Nov 2023 53(11):4293-4307.
- Subject
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
Preschool Children
Child Behavior
Interpersonal Relationship
Interpersonal Communication
Behavior Problems
Intervention
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 0162-3257
1573-3432
Network modeling of the social, communication and restrictive/repetitive behaviors (RRBs) included in the definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder was performed. The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) assessed behaviors in 139 pre-school cases at two cross-sections that averaged 34.8 months apart. Cross-sectional networks were based on the correlation matrix of the ADI-R behavioral items and the "bootCross" method was developed and enabled the estimation of a longitudinal network. At both stages, RRB items/nodes formed a consistent peripheral cluster, while social and communication nodes formed a core cluster that diverged with time. These differences in the nature and evolution of the RRB and socio-communicative dimensions indicate that their inter-behavior dynamics are very different. The most central behaviors across stages are proposed as prime targets for efficient therapeutic intervention.