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Neurodevelopmental disorders (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), tic disorder, intellectual disability (ID)), in prison populations have received increased attention but the focus has generally been on one single condition leaving out the global picture. This study assessed the prevalence and overlap of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) in a consecutive cohort (n=270) of young adult male offenders (age 18–25 years), sentenced for “hands-on” violent offences and serving prison time in Swedish prisons. Seventy-one percent of all who met inclusion criteria participated. Comprehensive clinical assessments were carried out including history of early antisocial behavior and maladjustment, self-report questionnaires and an intelligence test. Sixty-three percent of the study group met DSM-IV criteria for childhood ADHD, 43% for ADHD in adulthood, 10% met criteria for an ASD, 6% for Tourette syndrome, and 1% for ID. Twenty-two percent had borderline intellectual functioning. A substantial rate of overlap between the NDDs was found. The combined NDD group had an earlier onset of antisocial behavior, had more aggressive behavior and lower school achievements than the non-NDD group. The results highlight the need for prison and probation services to be attentive of and screen for neurodevelopmental disorders in young violent offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Our study confirm findings from previous population-based research showing an association between IQ and global adaptive functioning. • However, this was only the case among children and adolescents without any neurodevelopmental problems. • Among children with autism, ADHD, language disorder and/tic disorder, IQ was not clearly associated with better global adaptive functioning. • This finding has implications for the interpretation of IQ test results in neurodevelopmental assessments and for policy decisions regarding access to services. Previous studies have shown an association between IQ and adaptive global functioning, i.e. how well a person is functioning in different domains of life. However, it is unclear to what extent such an association applies in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). The study group consisted of 550 population-screened children assessed with the K-SADS, WISC-IV, and the C-GAS. Approximately half of the sample had been diagnosed with one or several NDDs (ADHD, autism, language disorder and tic disorder). A factorial ANOVA with IQ level and the presence of NDD was conducted, with C-GAS score as the dependent variable. Results revealed a significant interaction effect between IQ-group and NDD-status. In the non-NDD group (49% girls), higher IQ scores were clearly linked with better global adaptive functioning. Among children with NDDs (35% girls), however, higher IQ scores were not clearly associated with better functioning. Thus, the association between IQ and adaptive functioning were found to differ depending on the presence of NDD. These results have implications for the interpretation of IQ test results in neurodevelopmental assessments and point towards the importance of providing support based on an assessment of needs and functioning rather than scores from IQ tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Boys with a diagnosis of autism have a higher raw mean score than girls. • Girls with autism deviate further away from the sex-specific mean than boys. • Some girls with autism may not be captured by the use of existing cut-off values. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed more often in boys than girls. Here, we compared the degree of autism - and related disorders - symptomatology in boys and girls with a registered diagnosis of ASD. We used parent telephone interview A-TAC (Autism-Tics, ADHD and other Comorbidities) ratings of 30,392 twins aged 9 or 12 (including 308 boys and 122 girls with National Patient Register diagnoses of ASD) participating in the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden. We used z -scores for ASD-symptoms, standardized separately for boys and girls. Boys with a diagnosis of ASD had a higher raw mean score than girls with a diagnosis on the A-TAC ASD domain. However, utilizing the z -scores, girls with a diagnosis of ASD deviated further away from the female population mean than did the boys with ASD from the male population mean. Girls also had higher standardized mean values for symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Learning Disabilities and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The findings suggest that girls diagnosed with autism may represent an even more extreme end of the female population autistic features distribution, than diagnosed boys from the male population autistic features distribution. Future studies may benefit from examining the use of sex-specific cut-off scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]