Saturday, August 20, 2011

Multiple Complex Developmental Disorder and Newson Syndrome

Several years ago, I made a survey to study Newson Syndrome. I've finally gotten all the data entered and have started analysis.

Firstly, the background data:

The survey was filled out about 96 people. Of those, 80 were the children of the respondants, 4 were students of the respondants, 9 filled out the survey about themselves and 3 had other relationships to the respodants (only one of those three, a grandparent, indicated the nature of their relationship). There were 64 boys and 32 girls. There were 12 with a diagnosis of Newson Syndrome, 22 with other autism spectrum conditions, 3 with autism and oppositional defiant disorder, 3 with autism spectrum and ADHD, 3 with learning disabilities, 2 with ADHD, 1 with ADHD and conduct disorder, 3 with ODD or CD, 2 with schizophrenic spectrum conditions (1 of whom was on the autistic spectrum), 1 with OCD, 11 undiagnosed and 33 left the diagnosis question blank. Only 76 entered the age of the person, with the age ranging from 3 to 61 years (average 12.23 years, SD 10.12 years).

I got criteria for the autism spectrum and Multiple Complex Developmental Disorder from Buitelaar and van der Gaag (1998). Only 18 provided enough information to classify them according to both criteria, of which 5 had both autism and MCDD, 6 had autism without MCDD, 1 had MCDD and not autism and 6 had neither. I grouped the MCDD kids together into one group.

Then I did a one-way ANOVA, and found the following significant results (note that age did not differ among the three groups):

  • MCDD individuals were more likely to be female than non-MCDD autistic individuals (4 girls and 2 boys with MCDD versus 6 autistic boys)
  • MCDD individuals were more likely than individuals in either other category to use speech for purposes other than communication
  • non-autistic, non-MCDD individuals were more likely to show interest in transportation devices such as cars or trains than either other group
  • MCDD individuals were more distractible than other autistic individuals

2 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Hi, I'm a woman of 36 years old, diagnosed with McDD. I'm trying to find more information about it right now because at the time that I was diagnosed, there wasn't so much to find about it. I see that you make a difference between McDD and autism but I do not really understand this, because I have always been thinking that McDD is one of the ASD's ? At least it based on that principle or idea that I've built my own website about it.

1:31 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi, I'm a woman of 36 years old, diagnosed with McDD. I'm trying to find more information about it right now because at the time that I was diagnosed, there wasn't so much to find about it. I see that you make a difference between McDD and autism but I do not really understand this, because I have always been thinking that McDD is one of the ASD's ? At least it based on that principle or idea that I've built my own website about it.

1:32 AM  

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