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Empirically Based Phenotypic Profiles of Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Interpretation in the Light of the DSM-5

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Abstract

This study aimed to contribute to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) debates on the conceptualization of autism by investigating (1) whether empirically based distinct phenotypic profiles could be distinguished within a sample of mainly cognitively able children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), and (2) how profiles related to diagnoses and co-occurring behavioral and emotional problems. Six classes with distinct profiles were discerned. Three classes showed profiles not completely in line with the proposed DSM-5 conceptualization of autism. These classes included relatively many cognitively able individuals with PDD-not otherwise specified. However, profiles seemed to suit other diagnostic categories, such as social communication disorder. These alternative diagnoses could retain eligibility for services, and might adequately fit more specifically targeted interventions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank all children and parents who participated in the study. The project was supported financially by all participating centres. We thank all our research colleagues for their helpful suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam/Sophia Children’s Hospital, Dr. Molewaterplein 60, 3015 GJ, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Kirstin Greaves-Lord, Mart L. J. M. Eussen, Frank C. Verhulst & Pieter F. de Nijs

  2. Yulius Academy, Yulius Mental Health, P.O Box 753, 3300 AT, Dordrecht, The Netherlands

    Kirstin Greaves-Lord & Mart L. J. M. Eussen

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Ruud B. Minderaa, Mark Peter Steenhuis & Catharina A. Hartman

  4. Division of Psychology & Language Sciences, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, Room BW 444, Chandler House, 26 Bedford Way, WC1H 0AP, London, UK

    William Mandy

  5. Department of Psychiatry, Divisions of Child Psychiatry and Behavioral Genetics, University of Vermont, UHC St. Joseph’s Room 3213, 1 South Prospect Burlington, VT 05401, Burlington, VT, USA

    James J. Hudziak

Authors
  1. Kirstin Greaves-Lord
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  2. Mart L. J. M. Eussen
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  3. Frank C. Verhulst
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  4. Ruud B. Minderaa
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  5. William Mandy
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  6. James J. Hudziak
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  7. Mark Peter Steenhuis
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  8. Pieter F. de Nijs
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  9. Catharina A. Hartman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kirstin Greaves-Lord.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table 8.

Table 8 Comparison CSBQ subscale scores between participating centers
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Greaves-Lord, K., Eussen, M.L.J.M., Verhulst, F.C. et al. Empirically Based Phenotypic Profiles of Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Interpretation in the Light of the DSM-5. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 1784–1797 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1724-4

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