Detecting Autism In Toddlers

Diagnosis. The earliest indicators of autism are impairments of verbal and nonverbal communication. A child with autism will have difficulties responding to their name, smiling and making eye contact, babbling or cooing by twelve months, and using single or two word phrases by twenty-four months (NIMH, n.d.). A proper diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is a two part process. The child is first given a general screening to check for developmental issues. If the child is not making satisfactory developmental progress according to his or her age group, the child would be referred for additional screening. At this stage, the child will need to be screened to check for specific symptoms of autism. The screening can be based solely on the parent’s observation of the

With the prevalence of autism at an all-time high, there are many benefits to identifying a child as early as possible. Identification and intervention can dramatically improve outcomes for children with ASD. Children have increased neural plasticity at a very early age, making it easier for children to learn new skills such as communication, play, and overall skill development. Early intervention will improve children’s behaviors and remediate areas of weaknesses. Also, according to the New Jersey Early Intervention System program, early intervention makes the transition into preschool easier for children diagnosed with autism. In addition, parent-implemented intervention usually leads to better parent-child interaction, improved communication, behavior, and better maternal knowledge of autism.

The most recent data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (CDC, 2014). Children diagnosed with ASD often have difficulty with functional performance in several key areas including; social participation, communication, school based activities, motor performance and play. These impairments in functional performance are not exclusive to the child alone as the caregiver often assumes a great deal of burden in managing the symptoms of a child with ASD. Furthermore, these difficulties along with the rising diagnosis rate has pushed ASD to the forefront of clinical research and has raised issues regarding which Ayres

However, with this screening tool, false positives may occur (Williams et al., 2015). Because of this, the M-CHAT-R tool was developed and it is more sensitive, and detects 67 per 10,000 cases of autism (Williams et al., 2015). If the risk is low; the child is reevaluated at the 24-month-old. If medium risk, then a follow-up questionnaire called M-CHAT-R/F is given. These screening tools are easy, efficient, and reliable to assess the risk of Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) (Williams et al., 2015). Many nurses lack familiarity with these screening tools and also don’t have time to screen children for ASD. This article helps nurses to prevent barriers in screening children with early developmental

ASD is a pervasive developmental disorder that consists of abnormal development and functioning of the brain. ASD may involve deficits in social behaviors, abnormalities in communication, cognitive delays, and repetitive behaviors (UC San Diego Autism Center of Excellence, 2016). ASD is a broad spectrum neurological disorder with a variety of symptoms affecting each individual differently (Debbaudt & Rothman, 2001). ASD involves severe impairments of reciprocal social interactions, impaired

Whether a diagnosis of autism, or diagnosis of another disability is to be made, interventions can be developed to add the child 's “tool belt” on their waist of life. Research shows that the early intervention can highly impact the likelihood of success (Krader, 2014). The American Academy of pediatric tells us that the diagnosis procedure should start in children between 18 and 24 months. With the essential screening process, recommendations can be used to begin intervention and start the help that the child needs. As we have seen through research, not all children receive testing that proves equality (Krader, 2014).

There are many evidence – based assessment tools that are used when diagnosing children who demonstrate symptoms of ASD. However, this paper will outline two assessment tools used when identifying ASD. One intervention used for assessing children with ASD is called the Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised (ADI-R). The second assessment tool is Autism Diagnostic and Observation Schedule (ADOS).

The results of a study designed to identify children previously undiagnosed with ASD was presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR). This study finds that, with little effort, daycare and preschool teachers can effectively screen children for ASD. Teachers were asked to complete the Social Communication Questionnaire or the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) form. These checklists are used to identify children who are at high risk for

The rationale behind mandatory genetic testing would be based on providing early detection, diagnosis, in addition treatment for children before 3 years of age. Although there is also debate on the morality and political implications of prenatal neuroimaging testing associated with ASDs (Lintas 2008), the focus of this paper will be on early childhood prognoses. Less than 30% of primary care providers screen infants for healthy behaviors such as eye contact, joint attention, pretend play, language development (Marchant 2009). This raises concerns over the lack of standardization in current screening measures.

“Often, parents first start to see symptoms or unusual behaviors in their child at a young age” (Nelson). There is a list of informative questions that parents can answer that can indicate whether he or she should be further evaluated by a specialist. This test is the Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers, also known as the M-CHAT. Occasionally Autism can be diagnosed later in one’s life, often in relation to difficulties with learning, or with social and emotional cases. Just like with young children, diagnosis of older patients involves personal observations and interviews from trained specialists. Many times, diagnosis brings a sort of relief to those who have struggled with many difficulties throughout life and are finally given an answer. Diagnosis opens the doors to access to therapy, and assistive technologies that can improve their function in the areas of difficulty and improve their overall quality of

The Mobile Autism Risk Assessment (MARA), conducted by Duda, Daniels, and Wall (2016), is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screen used to classify those who are at high risk for ASD. “ASD is characterized by significant impairments in communicative abilities and social skills along with repetitive or atypical behaviors” (Duda, Daniels, & Wall, 2016; p.1953). It is important to have screening tools to help identify people at risk for ASD. Level 2 screening tools are used to differentiate ASD from other behavioral or developmental conditions. This study wanted to test a new parent/caregiver Level 2 screening tool for ASD, the MARA, to distinguish ASD from other developmental/behavioral disorders.

(2015) involved many extensive instruments to assess a number of different measurable outcomes. The Differential Ability Scales (DAS) was used to determine strengths and weaknesses in learning or to measure intellectual ability by determining General Conceptual Ability (GCA), nonverbal and verbal IQ, and reasoning capabilities. The Vineland Scales of Adaptive Behavior (VABS) was used to measure adaptive behavior. The VABS is actually a set of questions for the parents to answer to determine the Adaptive Behavior Composite (ABC) that is then broken down to daily living skills, socialization, and communication. The Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule (ADOS) was used to assess what are considered to be autism symptoms. The Repetitive Behavior Scale (RBS) was used to measure how severe the repetitive behavior of the child was which is another sign of autism. The Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) was administered to the parents and used to measure challenging behaviors such as hyperactivity and irritability. The Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised (ADI-R) was given to the parents to assess peer relationships. All tests were administered by licensed clinicians with no prior knowledge of the children’s

Considering Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological developmental disorder, parents and caregivers can detect signs of autism

The M-CHAT-R tool may be administered as part of a child wellness visit by a health care provider, or it may be used by other professionals, such as a school psychologist or counselor. The ultimate goal of the M-CHAT-R is to accurately detect as many cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder as possible in a timely manner. The statistical interpretation of the M-CHAT-R comes with a high false positive rate, so many children who score at risk will not be diagnosed with ASD. In order to address any

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a disorder that affects a person’s motor, communication, social, and verbal ability (Osterling & Dawson, 1994). Even though signs of Autistic children are similar, children diagnosed with the disorder do not behave the same. Symptoms can range from mild to severe (Osterling & Dawson, 1994). Sometimes children with Autism do not like to be touched. Also, the child may not show the same interest as other children their age such as drawing, coloring, and playing with toys. On the more severe side, the child may not be able to communicate at all. Therefore, early intervention can assist caregivers, educators, and parents with enhancing a child’s development.