Current Status of Comorbidities and Challenging Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Korea

This Study aimed to investigate the prevalence of challenging behaviors and comorbidities in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and identify differences in such behaviors and comorbidities according to a variety of sample characteristics (e.g., sex, educational placement, age, and severity of ASD). A total of 668 children with ASD, 6-18 years old and enrolled in special schools and special classes nationwide, were included in this study. Information providers were homeroom teachers who had known the children for at least 6 months. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to investigate if there were significant differences between groups classified according to sex, educational placement, age, and ASD severity. The analysis results show that approximately 60% of children had a coexisting comorbidity. Moreover, at least 53% had at least one type of sleep problem, and almost all patients (approximately 96%) displayed at least one challenging behavior. Significant differences in challenging behaviors and comorbidities were found between groups of different sexes, educational placement, age, and ASD severity ratings. Based on the results of this study, the current status of challenging behaviors and comorbidities in Korean children with ASD, the implications of the finding, and the significance and limitations of the study are discussed.