Abstract
Due to the heterogeneity of ASD population, many difficulties emerge when it comes to diagnosis of the disorder and even more difficulties regarding early detection. Specifically, early detection enables diagnosis to be made before the span of 24-30 months, the age where the official diagnosis is usually made. As it is known, earlier diagnosis is very crucial as children with ASD can benefit more from programs of early intervention. Taking all these into account, a brief review of the most popular approaches for early detection of ASD would be elaborated in order to raise awareness to health care professionals, clinicians, and parents. Moreover, in this chapter, the pros and the cons of each approach would be elaborated, and in the final part, some recommendations would be made concerning the process of early detection.
TopApproaches Of Early Detection Of Asd
Public Awareness
One important approach to increase knowledge of ASD is public awareness. Social marketing campaigns, printed and Web materials, public service announcements, live call center that target parents, clinicians and professionals can contribute to public awareness (Daniel et al., 2009). This approach is quite effective in ASD knowledge and behaviors among parents, clinicians and educators. This method seems to facilitate early identification of ASD, as more people learn about the early symptoms and where to receive professional help (Shattuck et al., 2009).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Likert-Scale: A five- or seven-point scale.
Comorbidity: The presence of one or more additional conditions with a primary condition.
Screening: A public health service for detecting a special medical condition for people that are not probably aware of being at risk or they are already affected by that condition.
Specificity: The proportion of negative diagnosis that are correctly identified.
Sensitivity: The proportion of positive diagnosis that are correctly identified.
Neuroplasticity: The physiological changes in the brain that happen as the result of our interaction with our environment.
Algorithm: A method that uses the test results to identify a health condition.
Genetic Mutation: A permanent alteration in the DNA sequence.