Emotional and behavioral difficulties in children and adolescents with autism in Saudi Arabia from their parents’ perspective

Abstract EN

Background: Extensive global research has profiled the behavioral strengths and difficulties among people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to ascertain the most effective rehabilitation approaches.

The present study aims to clarify behavioral strengths and difficulties in Saudi children and adolescents with ASD using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

Methods: Parents of autistic children and adolescents aged 2–18 years in Saudi Arabia reported their children’s behavioral strengths and difficulties by completing the SDQ instrument.

Results were analyzed statistically for associations between strengths or difficulties and various demographic variables of the children and their parents.

Results: SDQ provides measures of five subscales: emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationships, and prosocial behavior.

Associations between parental sociodemographic factors and characteristics of ASD subjects were found in a number of SDQ subscales.

As to the ASD subjects, the hyperactivity mean value was the highest.

There were higher statistically significant emotional problems in female ASD subjects than in males.

However, other difficulty-related subscales did not differ between male and female ASD subjects.

The prosocial (a strength) subscale was significantly lower in female participants than in males.

No specific pattern in SDQ subscales was revealed according to age.

Conclusion: The differential aspects of SDQ in Saudi children and adolescents with ASD, based on their behavioral strengths and difficulties in the context of gender, age-stratification, parental sociodemographic impact, and biological factors suggest that preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitation strategies need to be tailored for Saudi ASD children in order to be effective.