The Relationship Among Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Problem Behaviors, and Internalizing Symptoms in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Conclusions: Results suggest that the presentation of externalizing problem behavior and internalizing symptoms associated with GI problems differs between young children and older children with ASD. Therefore, behavior may have different relationships with GI symptoms at different ages, which may have implications for the treatment of and clinical approach to GI disturbances in ASD. Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities that occur early in life and cause clinically significant impairment (1). A variety of gastrointestinal (GI) issues commonly occur in ASD, including lower GI symptoms (i.e., constipation, diarrhea) and upper GI symptoms (i.e., nausea and vomiting, stomach aches and pains) (2–10), but the etiology is poorly understood. Children with ASD have been shown to experience a range of GI symptoms, with the prevalence shown to be anywhere from 9 to 91% (2), which is likely due differences in assessment and context. However, it appears that many individuals with ASD suffer from constipation (2, 3, 11, 12). One association with GI issues in ASD may be the response to stress, since some individuals with ASD show an altered stress response (13) and recent research has shown connections between lower GI symptoms, sensory over-responsivity, and anxiety (14),...
Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research