Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

• Hedieh Hashemi ¹
• Akbar Bahrami ²
• Leila Ghasisin ³
• Masoomeh Salehi ⁴
• Akbar Hasanzadeh ⁵

¹ MSc in Speech and Language Pathology, Cleft Lip and Palate Research Center, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

² MSc in Speech and Language Pathology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

³ MSc in Speech and Language Pathology, Academic Board Member, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

⁴ BSc in Speech and Language Pathology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

⁵ MSc in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Academic Member, School of Public Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Autism is a complicated developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life as a result of a neurological disorder affecting performance. The present study aimed at studying significant developmental events happening to autistic children compared to those occurring for normal ones.Materials and Methods: 50 autistic children and 50 normal children with an age range of 4 to 11 years participated in this descriptive-analytic study which was conducted in Isfahan-Iran. Important developmental factors related to pre-, peri- and post-natal periods were collected from literature and a tailor-made questionnaire was designed to be later completed by children's mothers. The data was statistically analyzed via Chi-Square, Fischer Exact and Mann-Whitney test.Results: The results indicated that the factors which occurred significantly more frequently among children with autism were as follows: advanced maternal and paternal age, maternal stress, allergic signs during pregnancy, familial marriages, having a history of communication and/or speech-language disorders in the family, cesarean delivery, high fever after birth, seizures and head trauma (P < 0/05).Conclusion: Although this study cannot determine decisive causes of development of autism in children, it can introduce possible risk factors. In fact, our findings suggest that pre-natal, neonatal and post-natal factors contributing to deviant growth are important in the pathogenesis of the disorder.Keywords: Autism disorder, Normal children, Developmental events, Pre-natal events, Post-natal events