Abstract
Children with complex behavioral profiles (e.g., ASD + ADHD) may experience delays in obtaining a final diagnosis. Low-resource or underrepresented groups may be at even greater risk for delayed diagnosis. We assessed the effect of sociodemographic factors, symptom complexity and co-occurring conditions, and identifier of first symptoms on diagnostic trajectories among children aged 3–17 years diagnosed with ASD (n = 52) or ASD + ADHD (n = 352) from a nationally-representative sample. Race/ethnicity and gender disparities were evident in both groups. Race, symptom complexity, and co-occuring conditions predicted age of final diagnosis and wait time between first concern and final diagnosis, both of which were staggeringly high. Results suggest a complex influence of sociodemographic factors on the diagnostic pathway, and risk of health disparities as a function of intersectionality.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 3542-3557 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders |
Volume | 53 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2023 |
Keywords
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Comorbidity
- Diagnosis
- Health disparities
- Intersectionality
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental and Educational Psychology