Childhood Facial Recognition Predicts Adolescent Symptom Severity in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Mart L. J. M. Eussen
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Wytemaweg 8, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Yulius, Organisation for Mental Health, Hellingen 21, 3311 GZ, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Search for more papers by this authorAnneke Louwerse
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Wytemaweg 8, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Yulius, Organisation for Mental Health, Hellingen 21, 3311 GZ, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Search for more papers by this authorCatherine M. Herba
Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal and Centre de Recherche du CHU Ste-Justine, Montréal, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorArthur R. Van Gool
Yulius, Organisation for Mental Health, Hellingen 21, 3311 GZ, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Search for more papers by this authorFop Verheij
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Wytemaweg 8, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Search for more papers by this authorFrank C. Verhulst
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Wytemaweg 8, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Kirstin Greaves-Lord
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Wytemaweg 8, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Yulius, Organisation for Mental Health, Hellingen 21, 3311 GZ, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Address for correspondence and reprints: Kirstin Greaves-Lord, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Wytemaweg 8, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherland. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorMart L. J. M. Eussen
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Wytemaweg 8, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Yulius, Organisation for Mental Health, Hellingen 21, 3311 GZ, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Search for more papers by this authorAnneke Louwerse
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Wytemaweg 8, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Yulius, Organisation for Mental Health, Hellingen 21, 3311 GZ, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Search for more papers by this authorCatherine M. Herba
Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal and Centre de Recherche du CHU Ste-Justine, Montréal, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorArthur R. Van Gool
Yulius, Organisation for Mental Health, Hellingen 21, 3311 GZ, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Search for more papers by this authorFop Verheij
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Wytemaweg 8, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Search for more papers by this authorFrank C. Verhulst
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Wytemaweg 8, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Kirstin Greaves-Lord
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Wytemaweg 8, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Yulius, Organisation for Mental Health, Hellingen 21, 3311 GZ, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Address for correspondence and reprints: Kirstin Greaves-Lord, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Wytemaweg 8, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherland. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Limited accuracy and speed in facial recognition (FR) and in the identification of facial emotions (IFE) have been shown in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study aimed at evaluating the predictive value of atypicalities in FR and IFE for future symptom severity in children with ASD. Therefore we performed a seven-year follow-up study in 87 children with ASD. FR and IFE were assessed in childhood (T1: age 6–12) using the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks (ANT). Symptom severity was assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) in childhood and again seven years later during adolescence (T2: age 12–19). Multiple regression analyses were performed to investigate whether FR and IFE in childhood predicted ASD symptom severity in adolescence, while controlling for ASD symptom severity in childhood. We found that more accurate FR significantly predicted lower adolescent ASD symptom severity scores (ΔR2 = .09), even when controlling for childhood ASD symptom severity. IFE was not a significant predictor of ASD symptom severity in adolescence. From these results it can be concluded, that in children with ASD the accuracy of FR in childhood is a relevant predictor of ASD symptom severity in adolescence. Test results on FR in children with ASD may have prognostic value regarding later symptom severity. Autism Res 2015, 8: 261–271. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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