TY - JOUR
T1 - Very early signs of autism reported by parents include many concerns not specific to autism criteria
AU - Guinchat, Vincent
AU - Chamak, Brigitte
AU - Bonniau, Beatrice
AU - Bodeau, Nicolas
AU - Perisse, Didier
AU - Cohen, David
AU - Danion, Anne
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by a grant from the Fondation de France . We would like to thank the psychiatrists, the care units and the associations of parents who agreed to distribute the questionnaire, and the parents who accepted to fill in the questionnaire.
PY - 2012/4
Y1 - 2012/4
N2 - This study assessed parents' first concerns about their autistic child. This information was categorized so that it could help healthcare professionals improve early detection of autism. We designed a questionnaire using an open-ended format, and 459 questionnaires were completed by parents to assess difficulties encountered in obtaining a diagnosis for their child. Answers about their first motive of concerns were categorized and compared with regards to age, gender, birth order, age of onset, delay in seeking professional advice, and delay in diagnosis. Concerns about social development or autistic behaviors were frequent, but not exclusive. Parents were divided into three clusters of concerns: (a) an "early awareness group": which included motor problems and passivity (14.6 months); (b) "intermediate awareness group": included emotional, hyperactivity, and sleep problems (15.3 months); and (c) a "later awareness group": which included communication problems, poor social interaction, and autistic-type behaviors (22.3 months). Parents who noticed general concerns not specific to autism were worried earlier, but received a later diagnosis. We suggest that motor problems, and/or emotional problems, and/or the level of a child's activity should encourage frontline professionals to seek autistic symptoms in infants.
AB - This study assessed parents' first concerns about their autistic child. This information was categorized so that it could help healthcare professionals improve early detection of autism. We designed a questionnaire using an open-ended format, and 459 questionnaires were completed by parents to assess difficulties encountered in obtaining a diagnosis for their child. Answers about their first motive of concerns were categorized and compared with regards to age, gender, birth order, age of onset, delay in seeking professional advice, and delay in diagnosis. Concerns about social development or autistic behaviors were frequent, but not exclusive. Parents were divided into three clusters of concerns: (a) an "early awareness group": which included motor problems and passivity (14.6 months); (b) "intermediate awareness group": included emotional, hyperactivity, and sleep problems (15.3 months); and (c) a "later awareness group": which included communication problems, poor social interaction, and autistic-type behaviors (22.3 months). Parents who noticed general concerns not specific to autism were worried earlier, but received a later diagnosis. We suggest that motor problems, and/or emotional problems, and/or the level of a child's activity should encourage frontline professionals to seek autistic symptoms in infants.
KW - Autism
KW - Early diagnosis
KW - France
KW - Parents' first concerns
KW - Questionnaire
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80855147650&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.rasd.2011.10.005
DO - 10.1016/j.rasd.2011.10.005
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:80855147650
SN - 1750-9467
VL - 6
SP - 589
EP - 601
JO - Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders
JF - Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders
IS - 2
ER -