Abstract: Objective To investigate the correlation between developmental function and pathological behavior in children with autism. Methods A total of 154 children with autism were tested with Revised Chinese Version Psycho-Educational Profile (C-PEP) during 2011 to 2014. Results The scores of fine movement, hand-eye coordination, and oral language of developmental function were lower in the girls than in the boys (t>2.120, P<0.05). Among the children with autism aged 2-7 years, the developmental function was better in the older group than in the younger group (P<0.05); however, it was not better in the children aged 8-10 years and >10 years than in those aged 6-7 years. There was no difference in the scores of pathological behavior between the girls and the boys (P>0.05). Some pathological behaviors were milder in the older group than in the younger group (P<0.05). The scores of "P" (pass) in developmental function were positively correlated with the scores of "A" (absence) in pathological behavior (P<0.01), and negatively correlated with the scores of "S" (severe) in pathological behavior (P<0.01). The scores of "F" (fail) in developmental function were negatively correlated with the scores of "A" (absence) in pathological behavior (P<0.01), and positively correlated with the scores of "S" (severe) in pathological behavior (P<0.01). Conclusion Developmental function of children with autism is highly correlated with pathological behavior, and the rehabilitation and education of children with autism aged above 7 years should be concerned.

Key words: autism, children, developmental function, pathological behavior, correlation