Autism and ADHD are neurodevelopmental conditions that impact an individual’s behavior, communication, and cognitive processes.
Research suggests a strong genetic component to both conditions, with increased likelihood of diagnosis among individuals who have a sibling or parent with autism or ADHD. Moreover, there is significant co-occurrence between autism and ADHD, further indicating potential shared genetic underpinnings.
Key Points
Rationale
Autism and ADHD are highly heritable neurodevelopmental conditions. Children with a parent or siblingdiagnosed with autismor ADHD have a significantly higher likelihood of receiving a diagnosis themselves (Chen et al., 2017; Constantino et al., 2010; Messinger et al., 2013; Miller et al., 2019; Risch et al., 2014).
Around 30-40% of individuals with autism or ADHD have aco-occurring diagnosisof the other condition (Lai et al., 2019; Rong et al., 2021).
However, family history of autism/ADHD is not often considered during recruitment for developmental studies, despite the high recurrence rates and impact on neurodivergent development.
This study aimed to examine how rates of FH-autism/ADHD vary across different recruitment methods and family socioeconomic factors in young children.
Method
The researchers looked at rates of autism or ADHD among family members of children who are autistic or have ADHD.
Participants were 1055 children aged 9-46 months from three UK-based samples recruited using different methods. The samples varied in socioeconomic diversity.
Results
Insight
This study provides important insights into how recruitment methods and family socioeconomic factors relate to rates of FH-autism/ADHD in developmental research samples.
The finding that online crowdsourced samples had the highest rates of FH-autism/ADHD and greatest socioeconomic diversity suggests this recruitment approach may yield more representative samples than university databases or social media.
The associations between lower parental education/income and higher rates of FH-ADHD/autism align with previous research linking autism and ADHD to socioeconomic status (Durkin et al., 2017; Russel et al., 2016).
Future research should examine potential mechanisms underlying these associations and take family history and socioeconomic diversity into account when developing recruitment strategies.
Strengths
Below are some notable strengths with this study:
Limitations
Below are some of the limitations of this study:
Implications
The results suggest that developmental researchers should carefully consider how their recruitment strategies may impact the neurodiversity and representativeness of their samples.
In particular, online crowdsourcing may be an effective way to recruit more socioeconomically diverse samples with higher rates of FH-autism/ADHD compared to traditional university or social media-based approaches.
Clinically, the findings highlight the importance of screening for family history, especially among socioeconomically disadvantaged families, to identify children at higher likelihood of autism/ADHD.
Finally, the socioeconomic associations underscore the need for policies and services that support neurodivergent individuals and families across the socioeconomic spectrum.
References
Primary reference
Bazelmans, T., Scerif, G., Holmboe, K., Gonzalez‐Gomez, N., & Hendry, A. (2024). Rates of family history of autism and ADHD varies with recruitment approach and socio‐economic status.British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 42(2), 117–132.https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12469
Other references
Chen, Q., Brikell, I., Lichtenstein, P., Serlachius, E., Kuja‐Halkola, R., Sandin, S., & Larsson, H. (2017). Familial aggregation of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry,58(3), 231-239.https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12616
Constantino, J. N., Zhang, Y. I., Frazier, T., Abbacchi, A. M., & Law, P. (2010). Sibling recurrence and the genetic epidemiology of autism.American Journal of Psychiatry,167(11), 1349-1356.https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.09101470
Durkin, M. S., Maenner, M. J., Baio, J., Christensen, D., Daniels, J., Fitzgerald, R., … & Yeargin-Allsopp, M. (2017). Autism spectrum disorder among US children (2002–2010): Socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic disparities.American journal of public health,107(11), 1818-1826.https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.304032
Lai, M. C., Kassee, C., Besney, R., Bonato, S., Hull, L., Mandy, W., Szartmari, P., & Ameis, S. H. (2019). Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The Lancet Psychiatry,6(10), 819-829.https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30289-
Miller, M., Musser, E. D., Young, G. S., Olson, B., Steiner, R. D., & Nigg, J. T. (2019). Sibling recurrence risk and cross-aggregation of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder.JAMA pediatrics,173(2), 147-152.
Risch, N., Hoffmann, T. J., Anderson, M., Croen, L. A., Grether, J. K., & Windham, G. C. (2014). Familial recurrence of autism spectrum disorder: evaluating genetic and environmental contributions.American Journal of Psychiatry,171(11), 1206-1213.https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.13101359
Rong, Y., Yang, C. J., Jin, Y., & Wang, Y. (2021). Prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis.Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders,83, 101759.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2021.101759
Russell, A. E., Ford, T., Williams, R., & Russell, G. (2016). The association between socioeconomic disadvantage and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a systematic review.Child Psychiatry & Human Development,47, 440-458.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-015-0578-3
Keep Learning
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Saul McLeod, PhD
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester
Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education
Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.
