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Background Methods Results Conclusions Autism commonly co‐occurs with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but less is known regarding how ADHD symptoms impact the early presentation of autism. This study examined early behavioral characteristics of a community sample of toddlers later identified with autism diagnosis, ADHD symptoms, combined autism and ADHD symptoms, or neither condition.Participants were 506 toddlers who were part of a longitudinal study of children's behavioral development. Parents completed questionnaires about their children's behavior at two time points. Four groups were identified based on study measures or medical record: autism diagnosis (n = 45), elevated ADHD symptoms (n = 70), autism and ADHD symptoms (n = 30), or neurotypical development (n = 361). Relationships between early parent report of autism‐ and ADHD‐related behaviors, social–emotional and behavioral functioning, and caregiver experience and subsequent group designation were evaluated with adjusted linear regression models controlling for sex.Significant group differences were found in measures of autism‐related behaviors, ADHD‐related behaviors, externalizing and internalizing behaviors, and parent support needs (p < .0001). Pairwise comparisons indicated toddlers later identified with combined autism diagnosis and ADHD symptoms had higher levels of autism‐related behaviors, externalizing and internalizing behaviors, and autism‐related parent support needs compared to the other groups. Toddlers with subsequent elevated ADHD symptoms or combined autism diagnosis and ADHD symptoms exhibited similar levels of ADHD‐related behaviors, while both groups displayed more ADHD‐related behaviors than toddlers subsequently identified with autism or those with neither condition.In this community sample, toddlers for whom combined autism diagnosis and ADHD symptoms were subsequently identified showed a distinct presentation characterized by higher early autism‐related behaviors, broader behavioral concerns, and higher parent support needs. Presence of ADHD symptoms (alone or in combination with autism) was associated with higher parent‐reported ADHD‐related behaviors during toddlerhood. Results indicate that ADHD‐related behaviors are manifest by toddlerhood, supporting screening for both autism and ADHD during early childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionsCognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS; previously called Sluggish Cognitive Tempo) refers to a constellation of cognitive and motor behaviors characterized by a predisposition toward mind wandering (cognitive subdomain) and slowed motor behavior (hypoactive). While there are a number of studies linking CDS traits to greater global impairment in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autistic children, there are few studies examining the prevalence and impact of CDS traits in autistic children with co-occurring ADHD (Autistic+ADHD). The current study explored CDS traits in autistic children with and without co-occurring ADHD, children with ADHD, and neurotypical children.Participants were 196 children between 3- and 7-years-of-age comprising four groups: Neurotypical (N = 44), ADHD (N = 51), Autistic (N = 55), and Autistic+ADHD (N = 46). CDS traits, social and communication skills, repetitive behaviors, and sensory processing were all assessed via parent report.Children diagnosed with ADHD, autistic children, and Autistic+ADHD children exhibited similar levels of overall CDS traits. However, when explored separately, Autistic+ADHD children had higher cognitive CDS trait scores compared to children with ADHD alone. Both overall CDS traits and the cognitive subdomain were associated with greater social difficulties, particularly social withdrawal, higher levels of repetitive behaviors, and more sensory sensitivities, regardless of diagnosis.Findings suggest that CDS traits may be an additional factor directly impact functional outcomes in both autistic and ADHD children. As such, clinicians should be assessing CDS traits in addition to other clinical domains associated with ADHD and autism when developing intervention plans for young neurodiverse children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]