Factors That Affect Age of Identification of Children With an Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published online on November 22, 2016
Abstract
This study explored factors associated with age of identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Results of a one-way ANOVA indicated differences in age of diagnosis among the four regions in the United States, F(3, 650) = 7.618, p = .01. Tukey’s post hoc comparisons of the groups indicated that the mean age of diagnosis in the Midwest (M = 38.9 months or 3 years, 3 months) was significantly later than in the Northeast (M = 32.75 months or 2 years, 9 months, p = .000) and South (M = 33.26 months or 2 years, 9 months, p = .000). Results of a Pearson correlation indicated a significant negative correlation (r = –.409, n = 654, p = .000) between date of birth and age of diagnosis, with more recent birthdays associated with lower age of diagnosis. Regression results were statistically significant, F(25, 620) = 7.549, p < .001, R2 = .233, with some factors predicting earlier age of diagnosis and some factors predicting later diagnosis.