Preamble
Autism Speaks (2012) argues that autism spectrum disorders are not the causes of the challenging behaviors that are witnessed in children diagnosed with the disorders. Instead, the biological processes that cause the disorders also cause the challenging behaviors. Whether there are divergent perspectives can be determined by reviewing literature on the subject. The following is an annotated bibliography with the sources that offer insight on why individuals with autism spectrum disorder engage in challenging behavior.
Connie, A. (2011). New research on children with ASD and aggression. Retrieved from http://www.iancommunity.org/cs/simons_simplex_community/aggression_and_asd
The researcher argues that the response of the parent to the challenging behaviors of the children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are important factors the determine the persistence of the challenging behaviors. The appropriateness of a response relates to its function on the behavior. Inappropriate responses might act as behavior enablers that encourage the challenging behaviors.
Hill, A., Zukerman, K., Hagen, A., Kriz, D., Duvall, S., van Santen, J., Nigg, J., Fair, D. and Fombonne, E. (2014). Aggressive Behavior Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Prevalence and Correlates in a Large Clinical Sample. Research on Autism Spectrum Disorders. 8(9): 1121-1133.
The study by Hill et al., (2014) finds that aggressive behavior problems are very prevalent among people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Using a sample of 400 children who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, Hill et al., (2014) assessed the intensity of the medical interventions, severe comorbid problems, and impairment of behavior functioning in children with aggressive behavior problems compared to children who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder but had no aggressive behavior problems. The researchers found that that sociodemographic factors such as age, ethnicity, parental education, sex, and race had no correlation with the occurrence of aggressive behavior problems. However, lower cognitive functioning, the increase use of melatonin and psychotropic drugs, lower severity of autism spectrum disorder, increased comorbid sleep as well as attention problems were associated with the occurrence of aggressive behavior problems. Even stronger association was shown between internalizing, attention problems, and sleep and the occurrence of aggressive behavior problems.
Kanne, S and Mazurek, M. (2011). Aggression in children and adolescents with ASD: prevalence and risk factors. Journal of Autism and Development Disorders. 41(7): 926- 937.
De Giacomo, A., Craig, F., Terenzio, V., Coppola, A., Campa, M. and Passeri, G. (2016). Aggressive Behaviors and Verbal Communication Skills in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Global Pediatric Health. 3:2333794X16644360
The findings of the researchers using a sample of 88 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder raise more antagonisms with regards to the precipitating factors of the challenging behaviors. For instance, the researchers reported no association between low cognitive functioning with a low intelligence quotient as its precursor and the challenging behaviors such as aggression towards self and others in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Hill et al., (2014) had reported a significant association between low cognitive function between the challenging behaviors such as aggression. De Giacomo et al., (2016) also reports that the severity of autism is arguably the most influential factor that for the development of the challenging behaviors. This finding is contrary to what Kanne & Mazurek (2011) reported from their study.
Matson, J., Mahan, S., Fodstad, J., Worley, J., Neal, D. and Sipes, M. (2011). Effects of symptoms of co-morbid psychopathology on challenging behaviours among infants and toddlers with Autistic Disorder and PDD-NOS as assessed with the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits (BISCUIT). Developmental Neurorehabilitation. 14(3): 129-139.
The researchers on one of the factors that exacerbate the challenging behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders. The factor on which the researchers focused was the co-morbid psychopathology. The researchers found the rate of challenging behaviors were higher in children who had tantrum problems and symptoms of avoidance when compared to the children who had low scores of tantrum problems and symptoms of avoidance. The researchers also found that the challenging behaviors were more pronounced in children with eating and sleeping problems and high scores of impulsivity when compared with their counterparts with lower levels. The researchers concluded that while the co-morbid psychopathology are usually present in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, the elevation of the symptoms may be an exercabating factor for the challenging behaviors.
Horovitz, M., Matson, J., Rieske, R., Kozlowski, A. and Sipes, M. (2011). The relationship between race and challenging behaviours in infants and toddlers with autistic disorder and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified. Developmental Neurorehabilitation. 14(4): 208-214.
Different factors have been hypothesized to explain the challenging behaviors in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. One of the factors is race and was the basis of the study by the researchers. They compared 543 participants of Caucasian descent with 409 participants of the African American descent. The researchers found that there were significant differences between the children from the two races in 50% of the aggressive behaviors that were considered. The researchers also found that race was not a precipitating factor for the stereotypic and self-injurious behaviors. However, the diagnostic groups were found to yield significant differences in all the 10 aggressive behaviors that were considered. These findings led to the conclusion that cultural factors deserved more attention as possible precipitating factors of challenging behaviors in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Matson, J., Neal, D., Fodstad, J. and Hess, J. (2010). The relation of social behaviours and challenging behaviours in infants and toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Developmental Neurorehabilitation. 13(3): 164-169.
The researchers explore the association between social behaviors and the challenging behaviors in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The researchers used a sample of 153 children. The study found that challenging behaviors such as destructive behavior, aggressive behavior, and stereotypic behavior were higher in children who reported decreased interaction with adults and peers. These findings influenced the recommendation to explore the interaction between challenging behaviors and socialization as a contribution towards interventions needed to reduce the prevalence of challenging behaviors in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Madeiros, K., Kozlowski, A., Beighley, J., Rojahn, J. and Matson, J. (2012). The effects of developmental quotient and diagnostic criteria on challenging behaviors in toddlers with developmental disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 33(4): 1110-1116.
The researchers used a cross-sectional study design and 1509 participants to explore the relationship between challenging behaviors and the diagnostic criteria and developmental quotient in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The researchers found and reported a positive relationship between the challenging behaviors and the total development quotient in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. When compared with unusually developing children who were not diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, the researchers found a negative relationship between challenging behaviors and total development quotient.
Autism Speaks. (2012). Why is Autism Associated with Aggressive and Challenging Behaviors? Retrieved from https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/section_1.pdf
NYS Office for People with Development Disabilities. (n.d.). Targeting the big three challenging behaviors caregiver manual. Retrieved from https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/challenging_behaviors_caregiver_manua l.pdf
This is a manual that helps caregivers deal with challenging behaviors in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The manual highlights the influence function of the behaviors to their persistence. It advances the argument that through the inappropriateness of the actions of the caregivers after the challenging behavior, the challenging behaviors can be encouraged.
