Teacher- and Parent-Reported Trajectories of Challenging Behavior Among Individuals with Autism

Abstract

AbstractPeople with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently exhibit challenging behaviors throughout the lifespan, which can have pervasive effects on quality of life. Challenging behaviors have been shown to change over time as a function of various individual-level factors (e.g., cognitive ability), yet research is primarily limited to parent-reported measures. To expand upon this work, the present study aimed to examine trajectories of teacher- and parent-reported challenging behaviors (i.e., hyperactivity, irritability, social withdrawal) and to test whether predictors including ASD features, verbal intelligence quotient, and consistency in reporter impact these trajectories among individuals with ASD or non-spectrum delays from ages 9 to 18. Multilevel models revealed that, according to both teacher and parent report, participants showed the greatest improvement in hyperactivity, less but still notable improvement in irritability, and stable levels of social withdrawal over time. Higher cognitive ability and fewer ASD features emerged as important individual differences related to fewer challenging behaviors. The multi-informant perspective and longitudinal design provide novel insight into the manifestations of these challenging behaviors across different contexts and across time. Findings highlight the importance of addressing challenging behaviors as these behaviors tend to persist throughout development in both home and school contexts, especially for children with particular diagnostic and cognitive profiles.Lay SummaryAccording to both teacher and parent report, youth with autism showed the greatest improvement in hyperactivity, less but still notable improvement in irritability, and stable levels of social withdrawal from school-age to adolescence. Fewer autism features and greater cognitive ability were related to fewer challenging behaviors. This study’s use of multiple reporters (e.g., teachers and parents) across time provided insight into the persistence of challenging behaviors in the home and school settings and across development.