Screening for Autism Spectrum Condition Through Inner City Homeless Services in the Republic of Ireland.

Homeless service users were screened for autism spectrum disorder through one of Ireland's leading not for profit service providers. Keyworkers acted as proxy informants; their caseloads were screened using the DSM-5-Autistic Traits in the Homeless Interview (DATHI). Client current and historical health and behaviour data was collated. A representative sample of 106 eligible keyworkers caseloads were screened, identifying 3% "present" and 9% "possibly present" for autistic traits with the DATHI. These findings suggest a high estimate of autism prevalence and support emerging evidence that, people with autism are overrepresented in the homeless population, compared to housed populations. Autism may be a risk factor for entry into homelessness and a challenge to exiting homeless and engaging with relevant services.

Operationalisation of the European Protocol for Autism Prevalence (EPAP) for Autism Spectrum Disorder Prevalence Measurement in Ireland.

The European Autism Information System project highlighted the lack of systematic and reliable data relating to the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in Europe. A protocol for the study of ASD prevalence at European level was developed to facilitate a common format for screening and diagnosing children across the EU. This is the first study to operationalise and screen national school children for ASDs using this protocol. National school children 6-11 years (N = 7951) were screened males 54 % (N = 4268) females 46 % (N = 3683). Screening children for ASD implementing the EAIS protocol using the Social Communication Questionnaire (Rutter et al. in Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ). Western Psychological Services, Los Angeles, ) as a first level screening instrument in a non-clinical setting of Irish national schools was demonstrated.