What is the new tool they develop to detect autism

Several studies agree that when a parent suspects that something is wrong with their child 85% of the time, they are right. While you may not know the name of this thing you are observing, they are generally not wrong to assume that something happens.

“In order for a person to receive a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), communication failures, failures in social skills and also in behavior must be observed,” Ana D'Anna, doctor of psychology and head of practical work in the subject Psychological Assessment of the Faculty of Psychology of the UBA. “These difficulties occur in different ways and to varying degrees from one subject to another, therefore, two people with the same diagnosis may have different characteristics,” he added.

On the other hand, Dr. Alejandro Andersson, neurologist and director of the Institute of Neurology of Buenos Aires (INBA), when consulted by Infobae, said that ASD “is a neurodevelopmental condition related to everything that has to do with the growth and maturation of the brain, which compromises the the way in which a person perceives, acts, thinks and socializes with other people. This causes problems in social interaction and communication, and of course, the disorder will involve very characteristic behavioral patterns that are restricted and repetitive.”

This condition affects neurodevelopment in children, this means that its characteristics, its clinical manifestations are observed in the early stages of evolution, at an early age, in the early stages of such development.

Dr. D'Anna highlighted that the types of studies to detect ASD vary according to the age of the child in question and the context, since “it is not the same to detect indicators in a child aged 0 to 3 years, where their behavioral repertoire is determined, than to detect indicators in an older child. Nor is it the same to detect it in the context of a pediatric consultation than in another context, such as a psychologist's office privately.”

For the specialist, the training that professionals must have on ASD is very important, since “it is difficult for a professional to diagnose what does not occur to them, which is not on their mental map, so the one who is dedicated to this has to be very clear, well studied the characteristics that present these children and, in addition, the great diversity that exists from one child to another and, therefore, the symptomatic manifestations.”

On the other hand, Andersson, stressed that autism spectrum disorder varies greatly in intensity and quality. “We have to observe the patient, we have to be a very good interrogation about how their development has been, how they were changing over time. You have to ask about interactions and social skills,” he explained.

He also highlighted the importance of administering tests that measure hearing, language, developmental level and that also measure social capacity and behavior. “In this regard, it is very interesting and very positive that a new tool has appeared that detects autism much earlier.

The new tools to detect ASD

A study, carried out on more than 13,500 children in Victoria over 5 years, discovered a tool for early detection of autism that can detect autism 3 years earlier than traditional tools. It was published in JAMA Network Open and developed by researchers at La Trobe University, Australia, and is already used in more than 11 countries.

The study concluded that SACS-R is extremely accurate in identifying very young children on the autism spectrum. Of the infants and toddlers aged 12 to 24 months reported by the tool, 83% were subsequently diagnosed with autism.

When used in conjunction with the SACS-Preschool screening, 96% of children with autism spectrum were identified at their 3.5-year checkup. Health professionals from 10 other countries around the world, including China, Singapore, Poland, Japan, New Zealand, Nepal and Bangladesh, also received training on the use of the tool.

Early diagnosis of autism is essential, as it allows early access to supports, services and therapies, as well as improving developmental outcomes, increasing participation in mainstream schooling and reducing the support needed as children grow. The SACS-R tool solves the problem of poor accuracy of autism screening tools, with an accuracy level of 6%.

Often, “parents are told to wait and act when they are concerned about their child's development. This means that the average age of diagnosis is around four or five years, which means that opportunities for early support are lost,” the experts warned.

They also highlighted the importance of putting this very effective tool in the hands of health professionals trained in primary care, so that during their routine health checks they can carry out autism screening, which would make a huge difference to early diagnosis.

“The research points to the critical need for SACS-R and SACS-Preschool to spread throughout Australia and the world, as part of regular medical check-ups of infants,” explained Josephine Barbaro, senior researcher and associate professor at the Olga Autism Research Center Tennison (OTARC) of La Trobe University.

According to the Vice-Chancellor of La Trobe, Professor John Dewar, this screening tool is “an excellent example of high-impact research that can make a tangible difference in people's lives,” who also stated that “Early identification of autism using this tool has already changed the lives of thousands of people. children and their families around the world”.

This new research, which is an extraordinary contribution from La Trobe's autism experts, will likely lead to more countries adopting the tool and integrating screening programs into their health systems.

The Revised Social Care and Communication Surveillance (SACS-R) and SACS-Preschool (SACS-PR) tools, developed over 15 years by Professor Barbaro, are used to identify a set of behaviors characteristic of children from the age of 11 months, including the infrequent or inconsistent use of gestures, such as greeting and pointing at objects; responding to the call of your name, eye contact, imitating or copying others' activities, sharing interest with others, or pretend play.

Signs to be alert

“As we have a more plastic brain, we are much more likely to generate strategies to compensate for the failures of the brain of a patient with autism,” Andersson stressed.

The behaviors to be attended to will be associated with the chronological age of the child. “International consensus agrees that eye contact is one of the warning signs, it is the first indicator of the social aspects of communication,” said D'Anna.

“The social smile, return the smile, respond to his name, the appearance of gestures such as throwing a kiss, saying goodbye with the hand and the gesture of pointing,” he explained. Other signs to keep in mind are the appearance of imitation, the first words in a one-year-old baby, the sharing of interest, the gesture of bringing something to share it.

Of course, “the loss of ability of any child who spoke words and stops saying them is always attended to. These are all behaviors that we must be attentive to and not overlook or minimize them.”, concluded D'Anna.

Both specialists consulted by Infobae agreed that the faster and earlier the diagnosis is made is crucial as this will allow treatment to begin immediately.

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