Peer-reviewed article

Does the Physical Restraint Disparity Increase With Age in Autistic Youth?

Ferah Hira, Serdar Hira · 10 Sept 2026

Abstract

McGaughey et al. reported age-stratified differences in physical restraint among autistic youth presenting to a pediatric emergency department and interpreted the findings as evidence of a progressively increasing disparity across development. We note that separate statistical significance tests within age groups do not establish that the magnitude of the association differs between age groups. In particular, the wide confidence interval in the youngest group indicates imprecision rather than evidence that no disparity is present. A direct autism spectrum disorder-by-age interaction is required to evaluate whether age modifies the association between autism spectrum disorder and physical restraint. Because the analysis does not follow the same individuals over time, the findings also represent population-level age heterogeneity rather than a within-person developmental trajectory. The study provides important evidence of overall restraint inequity, while the proposed age-dependent progression should remain hypothesis-generating until formally tested.