Repetitive behaviors and stereotyped interests, again in all 241 patients, improved in 58.5%., stayed the same in 24.1%, and worsened in 17.4%.

They also found that for seven of eight maladaptive behaviors there was significant decrease over time. The seven behaviors were unusual or repetitive habits, withdrawal or inattentive behavior, hurtful to self, hurtful to others, destructive to property, socially offensive behaviors, and uncooperative behavior. For the eighth - disruptive behavior - there was a trend toward decrease, but this was not significant.

"Whereas the overall trend across measures was one of improvement, approximately half of the sample remained stable between [baseline] and [most recent follow-up] with respect to nonverbal communication impairments, impairments in social reciprocity, and all measures of maladaptive behaviors," the authors wrote. "Although worsening of symptoms was observed in only a small minority of sample members, identification of factors differentiating those whose symptoms and maladaptive behaviors worsened is warranted in future research."

The authors noted that autism treatment services are more widely available for children than for teens and adults, but the analysis indicates that both symptoms and behaviors can improve among older patients with autism spectrum disorders as well.

"Over time, patterns of improvement represent the product of interactions among the autism spectrum disorder genotype, the autism spectrum disorder behavioral phenotype, and the environment, including the family environment, treatments, and interventions," they wrote.

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