| Comparison of the demographic characteristics of patients provides useful
information to their identification. This study aimed to determine the demographic
characteristics of children and adolescents with autistic disorder (AD).
In this cross-sectional case-control study, 115 children and adolescents with AD
were selected from Autism Society Rehabilitation Center in Tabriz, Iran, and 112 normal
children and adolescents from the public schools, in 2014. The participants in both groups
were matched regarding age and gender. Diagnosis of AD was performed using diagnostic and
statistical manual of mental disorders-4
th edition (DSM-IV) criteria and clinical diagnostic
interviews by two child and adolescent psychiatrists. The demographic information of children
and adolescents and their parents were collected from the medical records of children and
interviews with their mothers.
Most of the children with autism had second or higher birth order and had families
with more than three members. Mothers of children with autism had significantly lower levels
of education and were mostly housewives. Fathers of autistic children mostly had high school
diploma and fewer had university education, and most of them were employed. However,
there was no statistically significant difference between the AD group and the control group
regarding the average height and weight of children and the residence (urban or rural) and age
of parents at childbirth.
The demographic characteristics of the two groups of children and adolescents
with AD and normal controls were different from each other regarding family size, birth order,
parent occupation, and parent education variables. |