Another Research Paper Highlights the Link Between Inattention, Hyperactivity, and Autism in Young Children
Posted on 28th March 2025 at 21:04
As part of my ongoing effort to break down complex research into practical insights for families and professionals, I wanted to share another fascinating paper I came across recently. This one comes from the CHARGE study (Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment) and explores how attention difficulties, particularly inattention and hyperactivity, show up in young autistic children.
The researchers looked at over 1,100 children aged 2 to 5 years old, including autistic children, developmental delay, and typical development.
Their goal was two-fold:
To find out how common ADHD-like symptoms (inattention and hyperactivity) are in each group.
To understand how these symptoms relate to thinking skills and daily life functioning, especially in autistic children.
And the findings were striking.
Inattention and Hyperactivity Are Very Common in Autism
Autistic Children had the highest levels of inattention and hyperactivity. In fact, 42% of them scored in the top range for ADHD symptoms, compared to only 1% of typically developing children. Children with other developmental delays also had more symptoms than typically developing kids, but less than those that are autistic.
This supports what many of us already observe, attention challenges are incredibly common in autistic children, and they often start early.
Inattention Is Strongly Linked to Struggles in Daily Life
What stood out most to me was that inattention, more than hyperactivity, was linked to lower scores in language, social skills, and daily living tasks. Children who had the most attention difficulties were more likely to:
Struggle with communication.
Have difficulties with social interactions.
Score lower on visual learning and language assessments.
These differences appeared as early as age 2–3, which means we can’t afford to “wait and see” when it comes to these symptoms.
Why This Matters
The takeaway is clear: ADHD symptoms, especially inattention, aren’t just side notes in autism, they’re key factors that influence how a child learns, interacts, and manages everyday life.
This is the largest population-based study to look at this in preschool-aged children, and it confirms what so many families experience, attention difficulties in autism are real, and they matter.
What Can We Do With This Information?
Early support for attention challenges may have a big impact on a child’s development. While many early intervention approaches focus on communication or behaviour, perhaps we also need to focus more on building attentional skills in young autistic children.
It also reminds us how important it is to recognise co-occurring traits like ADHD in autistic children, especially now that both diagnoses can be made under the DSM-5.
If you're working with or raising a child who seems inattentive, easily distracted, or always on the go, don’t dismiss those signs. They could be impacting much more than just what we see on the surface. This research backs up the need for early recognition and support tailored to each child’s unique profile.
As always, I’ll keep reading and sharing new findings as they come. Knowledge is power, and together, we can create better support for our neurodiverse children.
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