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document
Outcome at 7 years of children diagnosed with autism at age 2 : predictive validity of assessments conducted at 2 and 3 years of age and pattern of symptom change over time . OBJECTIVE To examine the predictive validity of symptom severity , cognitive and language measures taken at ages 2 and 3 years to outcome at age 7 in a sample of children diagnosed with autism at age 2 . METHOD Twenty-six children diagnosed with autism at age 2 were re-assessed at ages 3 and 7 years . At each age symptom severity , cognitive and language assessments were completed . RESULTS The pattern of autistic symptom severity varied over time by domain . Across time , children moved across diagnostic boundaries both in terms of clinical diagnosis and in terms of instrument diagnosis on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised ( ADI-R ) . On all measures group variability in scores increased with age . Although non-verbal IQ ( NVIQ ) for the group as a whole was stable across the 3 assessments , this masked considerable individual instability . Standard assessments at age 2 did not predict outcome at age 7 even within the same domain of functioning . In contrast , standard assessments at age 3 did predict outcome . However , a measure of rate of non-verbal communicative acts taken from an interactive play-based assessment at age 2 was significantly associated with language , communication and social outcomes at age 7 . CONCLUSIONS The trajectory of autism symptoms over time differed in different domains , suggesting that they may be , at least in part , separable . Variability in language , NVIQ and symptom severity increased over time . Caution is required when interpreting the findings from assessments of children with autism at age 2 years . At this age measures of rate of non-verbal communication might be more informative than scores on standard psychometric tests . Predictive validity of assessments at age 3 years was greater .
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Intervention_Educational
symptom severity , cognitive and language assessments
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Outcome_Mental
symptom severity
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Outcome_Mental
cognitive and language measures
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Outcome_Mental
symptom severity
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Outcome_Mental
cognitive and language assessments
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Outcome_Mental
Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised ( ADI-R )
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Outcome_Mental
rate of non-verbal communicative acts
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Outcome_Mental
language
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Outcome_Mental
communication
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Outcome_Mental
social outcomes
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Outcome_Mental
language , NVIQ
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Outcome_Physical
and
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Outcome_Mental
symptom severity
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Participant_Age
children
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Participant_Condition
autism
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Participant_Age
age 2
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Participant_Age
2 and 3 years of age
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Participant_Age
children
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Participant_Condition
autism
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Participant_Age
age 2
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Participant_Sample-size
Twenty-six
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Participant_Age
children
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Participant_Condition
autism
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Participant_Age
age 2
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Participant_Age
children
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Participant_Condition
autism
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Participant_Age
age 2 years