Some kids with autism lose the label as they age. Now a new
study is helping to explain why the diagnosis sticks around for
some and not others. Researchers looked at parent-reported data
on more than 1,300 children ages 3 to 17 with a current or
previous autism diagnosis. About one-third of the children had
been diagnosed with autism, but were no longer considered to
have the disorder, according to the study published Monday
online in the journal Pediatrics. What set the two groups of
children apart was whether or not a child had other co-occurring
psychiatric or developmental disorders in addition to autism,
the researchers found. In fact, those who retained their autism
diagnosis as they got older were more likely to have two or more
co-occurring conditions, they said. The other conditions
affecting kids who retained an autism diagnosis often included
learning disabilities, developmental delay, speech problems,
anxiety and seizures. It’s unclear why some children lose their
autism diagnosis as they get old