New research published in JCPP Advances has identified a significant connection between low-resource neighborhoods and heightened ADHD symptoms in autistic youth. This study, led by Catrina Calub from UC Davis, is the first to examine how neighborhood conditions affect ADHD symptoms in both autistic and non-autistic children.
Utilizing data from the CHARGE and ReCHARGE studies, the researchers assessed children’s ADHD symptoms using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and evaluated neighborhood conditions with the Child Opportunity Index 2.0 (COI). The COI measures factors such as education, health, and social-economic conditions.
Findings revealed that children born in neighborhoods with lower opportunity scores exhibited more severe ADHD symptoms during mid-childhood and adolescence. This effect was notably pronounced in autistic children, who showed greater sensitivity to poor neighborhood conditions compared to their non-autistic peers.
The study found that the Social and Economic domain of the COI—encompassing indicators like income and employment rates—was the strongest predictor of increased ADHD symptoms in autistic children. Although early childhood ADHD symptoms were similar across neighborhood conditions, by mid-childhood, those from low-resource areas had significantly higher symptoms.
Researchers emphasize that these results underscore the need for increased resources in underserved communities to support autistic youth. Future research should aim to expand the sample diversity to explore the generalizability of these findings across different populations.
The study highlights the potential for targeted interventions to improve outcomes for autistic youth and suggests that addressing environmental factors could mitigate the severity of ADHD symptoms.
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