Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, sleep problems, challenging behavior, adaptive behavior, and quality of life in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between sleep, gastrointestinal symptoms, challenging behavior, adaptive behavior, and quality of life between children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) symptoms. Parents of 118 children and adolescents with ASD completed the Conners Early Childhood Rating Scale–Parent Short Form or the Conners 3–Parent Short Form, Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire, Gastrointestinal Symptom Inventory, Behavior Problems Inventory–Short Form, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition. The ASD group and the ASD with AD/HD groups differed significantly in sleep problems, gastrointestinal symptoms, and quality of life. Regressions indicated that AD/HD symptoms accounted for a small proportion of the variance for the differences in sleep problems and quality of life. AD/HD symptoms contribute to the complex needs of individuals with ASD. Research is necessary to investigate how these symptoms exacerbate comorbidities.