Table 3.
Associations between first developmental concern(s) and age at autism diagnosis, n = 538
| Total |
< 3 years (n = 106) | ≥ 3 years (n = 432) | Unadjusted Odds Ratio (95% CI) | Adjusted Odds Ratio (95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | |||||
| Number of developmental concerns | 1.11 (1.03, 1.18) | 1.11 (1.02, 1.21) | ||||
| Type of concern | ||||||
| Did not sleep as much as other children | 119 | 22.1% | 33.0% | 19.4% | 2.04 (1.28, 3.27) | 2.87 (1.59, 5.19) |
| Lost skills or regressed | 126 | 23.4% | 40.6% | 19.2% | 2.87 (1.82, 4.53) | 2.86 (1.60, 5.10) |
| Abnormal motor development/muscle tone | 138 | 25.7% | 22.6% | 26.4% | 0.82 (0.49, 1.35) | 0.68 (0.37, 1.27) |
| Delayed/absent response to own name | 151 | 28.1% | 50.0% | 22.7% | 3.41 (2.19, 5.30) | 3.03 (1.75, 5.23) |
| Did not point/gesture/imitate | 154 | 28.6% | 46.2% | 24.3% | 2.68 (1.72, 4.16) | 2.74 (1.60, 4.70) |
| Repetitive behaviors: hand-flapping/rocking | 197 | 36.6% | 37.7% | 36.3% | 1.06 (0.68, 1.65) | 1.09 (0.64, 1.86) |
| Did not engage in pretend/imitative play | 239 | 44.4% | 51.9% | 42.6% | 1.45 (0.95, 2.23) | 1.33 (0.79, 2.24) |
| Delayed/abnormal babbling/speaking | 245 | 45.5% | 60.4% | 41.9% | 2.11 (1.37, 3.26) | 1.67 (0.98, 2.82) |
| Other people expressed concerns | 247 | 45.9% | 34.9% | 48.6% | 0.57 (0.36, 0.88) | 0.60 (0.35, 1.05) |
| Focused on objects/self than other people | 255 | 47.4% | 45.3% | 47.9% | 0.90 (0.59, 1.38) | 1.11 (0.66, 1.85) |
| Unusual responses to touch/taste/smell/sounds | 267 | 49.6% | 46.2% | 50.5% | 0.84 (0.55, 1.29) | 1.17 (0.70, 1.97) |
| Had poor eye contact | 277 | 51.5% | 60.4% | 49.3% | 1.57 (1.02, 2.41) | 1.81 (1.08, 3.05) |
| Did not/rarely initiate social interaction | 278 | 51.7% | 46.2% | 53.0% | 0.76 (0.50, 1.17) | 0.58 (0.34, 0.99) |
Adjusted for child sex, specific autism diagnosis; caregiver race/ethnicity, age, education, marital status; household language and income; person who identified concern, sibling with autism