Feasibility of an observational procedure to enhance early identification of autism spectrum disorder in paediatric settings: A mixed-methods study on an Ecuadorian sample.

LAY ABSTRACT: In Ecuador, the low official estimate of the number of persons with autism spectrum disorder suggest that many children are not identified and are not receiving support. Screening tools are short parent-addressed questionnaires used to identify children that may be developing with autism. Their use is recommended, but their application can be perceived as challenging in paediatric routines. Some professionals prefer looking for autism-related behaviours in a child rather than using screening questionnaires. Although a short observation does not replace the use of validated screening questionnaires, tasks to guide the observation of autistic early signs can help professionals decide to screen or refer the family for assessment and early intervention. In this study, we tested observational tasks that could be adapted to the Ecuadorian paediatric contexts.

Anxiety, concerns and COVID-19: Cross-country perspectives from families and individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the mental health and well-being of children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) and of their families worldwide. However, there is insufficient evidence to understand how different factors (e.g., individual, family, country, children) have impacted on anxiety levels of families and their children with NDCs developed over time. Methods: We used data from a global survey assessing the experience of 8043 families and their children with NDCs (mean of age (m) = 13.18 years, 37% female) and their typically developing siblings (m = 12.9 years, 45% female) in combination with data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the University of Oxford, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook, to create a multilevel data set. Using stepwise multilevel modelling, we generated child-, family- and country-related factors that may have contributed to the anxiety levels of children with NDCs, their siblings if they had any, and their parents. All data were reported by parents. Results: Our results suggest that parental anxiety was best explained by family-related factors such as concerns about COVID-19 and illness. Children's anxiety was best explained by child-related factors such as children's concerns about loss of routine, family conflict, and safety in general, as well as concerns about COVID-19. In addition, anxiety levels were linked to the presence of pre-existing anxiety conditions for both children with NDCs and their parents. Conclusions: The present study shows that across the globe there was a raise in anxiety levels for both parents and their children with NDCs because of COVID-19 and that country-level factors had little or no impact on explaining differences in this increase, once family and child factors were considered. Our findings also highlight that certain groups of children with NDCs were at higher risk for anxiety than others and had specific concerns. Together, these results show that anxiety of families and their children with NDCs during the COVID-19 pandemic were predicted by very specific concerns and worries which inform the development of future toolkits and policy. Future studies should investigate how country factors can play a protective role during future crises.

Perception, Beliefs, and Causal Attribution of Autism Early Signs in Ecuadorian General Population.

The identification and diagnosis of children with autism currently rely on behavioral presentation and developmental history. Cultural norms and other socio-demographic factors can influence what is expected or non-expected behaviors in a developing child. Perceptions, beliefs, and causal attribution of early signs can influence families' help-search behaviors. Lack of recognition of autism's first manifestations can critically delay the age of diagnosis, the provision of informed guidance to families, and the implementation of adapted interventions during the critical period of early development. Furthermore, a lack of understanding of early signs as the manifestations of a developmental condition may increase stigma and non-conventional explanations. Still, cultural and socio-demographic factors are largely understudied, particularly in low-and middle-income settings. Based on the hypothesis that non-specialists such as family members and friends are one of the first sources of referral in Latin American contexts, we aimed to study the general population's perceptions and the explanatory causes of autism's early signs. One-hundred-and-eighty-three Ecuadorian adults responded to a questionnaire developed for this study, describing sixteen ASD-related behaviors. Results indicated that, with the exemption of language impairment and self-injurious behaviors, a substantial proportion of participants did not endorse many behaviors as "concerning and requiring professional attention." Also, language impairment was the only behavior identified as related to a developmental disorder. Additionally, most participants attributed the majority of behaviors listed in the questionnaire to causes unrelated to ASD, such as child personality. We discuss the impact of those findings in clinical practice and on awareness programs.

Experiences and Attitudes on Early Identification Practices of Autism: A Preliminary Survey of Pediatric Professionals in Ecuador.

Early identification of children with autism is necessary to support their social and communicative skills and cognitive, verbal, and adaptive development. Researchers have identified several barriers to early diagnosis. Data collected in low- and middle-income contexts-where the vast majority of children in the world live-is scarce. In Ecuador, as in many other countries, estimates are lower compared to the global prevalence. Health authorities estimate a prevalence of 0.28% (0.18%-0.41%) in children aged five years old or less. Based on the hypothesis that, as in many parts of the world, children in Ecuador are not routinely screened and that this situation may result from poor recognition of this condition, our objective was to identify potential obstacles to case identification in pediatric settings. Several barriers, consistent with those identified in other countries, were reported by 153 participants on a survey, including lack of time, lack of resources to refer, fear of unnecessarily alarming families, and lack of information to guide families with concerns. The vast majority of participants are aware of the need for a screening tool for autism detection but report a lack of knowledge of its formal application. Most of the barriers reported in this study could be overcome by educational programs tailored to professional needs in order to support the well-being of children with autism and their families.

Identificación y diagnóstico tempranos del trastorno del espectro autista: una revisión de la literatura sobre recomendaciones basadas en la evidencia / Early identification and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder: a literature review on evidence-based recommendations

Los trastornos del neurodesarrollo corresponden a un grupo de cuadros clínicos de base neurobiológica. En el caso particular del trastorno del espectro autista (TEA), las dificultades centrales están dadas por deficiencias de la comunicación / interacción social y por la presencia de patrones de comportamiento restrictivos o repetitivos. El diagnóstico y el tratamiento se basan actualmente en criterios comportamentales. Según datos recogidos en diferentes países, al menos 1 niño sobre 100 se desarrolla con alguna forma de autismo. Visto los resultados positivos asociados con las intervenciones tempranas, desde hace algunos años se realizan importantes esfuerzos con el objetivo de disminuir la edad la identificación. En entornos pediátricos es indispensable una familiarización con los criterios actuales de diagnóstico, los procesos de evaluación comportamental y etiológica, las condiciones médicas y comporta-mentales asociadas (trastornos del sueño y de la alimentación, convulsiones, síntomas gastrointestinales) que afectan la funcionalidad y la calidad de vida del niño y su familia. Con el objetivo de promover prácticas basadas en evidencia sobre identificación y diagnóstico, varias guías clínicas y estándares de práctica han sido publicados en diferentes países. El siguiente artículo revisa y sintetiza estas recomendaciones sobre la identificación y el diagnóstico del TEA en los primeros años de vida. Esta revisión ha sido efectuada a la luz de recomendaciones de la comunidad internacional que recalcan la necesidad de programas y servicios locales basados en evidencia y sensibles culturalmente, particularmente en contextos de medianos y bajos ingresos.

Neurodevelopmental disorders correspond to a group of neurobiological-based clinical pictures. In the particular case of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), central difficulties are caused by deficiencies in communication/social interaction and by the presence of restrictive or repetitive behavior patterns. Diagnosis and treatment are currently based on behavioral criteria. According to data collected in different countries, at least 1 child out of 100 develops with some form of autism. Given the positive results associated with early interventions, for some years now, important efforts have been made with the aim of reducing the age of identification. In pediatric settings, familiarization with current diagnostic criteria, behavioral and etiological evaluation processes, and associated medical and behavioral conditions (sleep and eating disorders, seizures, gastrointestinal symptoms) affect the functionality and quality of life of the child and his family. To promote evidence-based practices on identification and diagnosis, several clinical guidelines and standards of practice have been published in different countries. The following article reviews and synthesizes these recommendations on the identification and diagnosis of ASD in the first years of life. This review has been carried out in light of recommendations from the international community that emphasize the need for evidence-based and culturally sensitive local programs and services, particularly in low and middle income settings.

A study on visual preference for social stimuli in typical Ecuadorian preschoolers as a contribution to the identification of autism risk factors.

The goal of this study was to examine the visual preference towards socially salient stimuli, using a low-cost eye-tracking device in a group of typically developing (TD) Ecuadorian preschoolers aged 11 to 60 months, from rural and urban areas, and from families with low to high socioeconomic status (SES). Series of original stimuli inspired by those used in Western experiments on the early detection of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were proposed in two eye-tracking tasks. Two types of movements (human vs. object) were presented in task 1, and dynamic speaking faces in task 2. Parental perceptions of the adaptability of the low-cost eye-tracking device used here were also investigated through a questionnaire. The analyses of mean fixation times showed a visual preference for human movements compared to moving objects whatever age, residency location or SES. In task 2, visual preference for the mouth's area compared to the eyes' area was observed in specific conditions, modulated by residency location and SES but not by age. The analyses of the parental perception indicated that the eye-tracking technique is well accepted. The findings suggest that these stimuli, along with the experimental procedure and low-cost eye-tracking device used in the present study may be a relevant tool that can be used in clinical settings as a contribution to the early identification of at-risk factors of ASD in low- and middle-income contexts.