What new tools have you developed to detect autism?

According to several studies, parents agree that they are right if they suspect that their child has a problem 85% of the time. You may not know the name of the object you are looking at, but it is generally not wrong to assume that something will happen.

“To be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it is necessary to observe communication failures, social skills failures, and behavioral disorders.” Faculty of Psychology, Doctor of Psychology and Practice Director at UBA Ana D'Anna. “These difficulties arise in different ways and angles in each subject, so two people with the same diagnosis can have different characteristics.”

On the other hand, Dr. Alejandro Anderson, neurologist and director of the Buenos Aires Institute of Neurology (INBA), said when consulting with Infobe that ASD is “a neurodevelopmental state associated with everything related to the development and maturation of the brain,” which changes the way people are. It is a compromise with him that he perceives, acts, thinks, and socializes with others. This creates problems in social interaction and communication, and of course, the disorder will include very specific patterns of behavior that are limited and repetitive.”

This condition affects the nervous development of the child, which means that its features, clinical manifestations are observed in the early stages of development of the child.

Dr. D'Anna emphasized that the type of research that detects ASD depends on the age and condition of the child involved. “It is not the same to detect indicators in children between 0 and 3 years of age, where the behavioral repertoire is determined. In the context of a pediatric consultation, it is not the same to detect it personally compared to other situations, such as the psychologist's office.”

For professionals, the training that professionals must receive about ASD is very important. “It is difficult for a specialist to diagnose something that is not in the mental map, so the person who is committed to it must be very clear and well studied. The characteristics that these children exhibit and the very diversity that exist from one child to another, and hence the symptomatic symptoms.”

Anderson, on the other hand, emphasizes that the intensity and quality of autism spectrum disorders vary greatly. “I need to observe the patient. I need to ask very good questions about how the patient evolved and how it has changed over time. I need to ask about conversations and social skills.” He explained.

He also emphasized the importance of implementing tests that measure hearing, language, and developmental levels and measure social abilities and behaviors. “In this regard, it is very interesting and very positive that a new tool to detect autism appeared long ago.

New tools for ASD detection

Victoria's five-year study of more than 13,500 children found an early detection device for autism that could detect autism three years earlier than a conventional device. It was published in the opening of the JAMA network developed by researchers at La Trobe University in Australia and is already used in more than 11 countries.

The study concluded that SACS-R is very accurate in identifying very young children on the autism spectrum. 83% of infants aged 12 to 24 months reported with this device were diagnosed with autism.

SACS — 3.5% of children with autism spectrum were identified in 6-year screening tests when used in conjunction with preschool screenings. Medical professionals from 10 countries around the world, including China, Singapore, Poland, Japan, New Zealand, Nepal, and Bangladesh, were also trained on the use of this device.

Early diagnosis of autism is essential because it not only provides early access to support, services, and treatment, but also improves developmental outcomes, increases participation in mainstream schools, and reduces the support needed as children grow. The SACS-R tool addresses the problem of poor accuracy of autism screening tools with an accuracy level of 6%.

Often, “Parents are instructed to wait and act when they are concerned about their child's development. In other words, the average diagnosis age is around 4 to 5 years, which means that the opportunity for early help is lost.”

It also emphasizes the importance of leaving this highly effective tool in the hands of medical professionals trained in primary care, so that autism screening can be performed during routine medical examinations, which can make a big difference in early diagnosis.

Josephine Barbarough, a senior researcher and associate professor at the Olga Autism Research Center, points out the critical need for SACS-R and SACS-kindergartens to spread across Australia and around the world as part of routine medical examinations in infants, Trobe.

According to Professor John Dewar, Deputy Prime Minister La Trobe, this screening tool is “a good example of high-impact research that can make a real difference in people's lives” and “identifying autism using this tool has already changed the lives of thousands of children and their families around the world”.

With the notable contribution of autism experts from La Trobe, this new study will lead more countries to adopt this tool and integrate screening programs into their health systems.

Modified Social Work and Communication Monitoring (SACS-R) and SACS-Preschool (SACS-PR) tools developed by Professor Barbaro for more than 15 years are used to identify various behavioral characteristics of children aged 11 months and older, including the use of rare or inconsistent gestures. Includes: greetings and objects, name calling, eye contact, imitating or imitating other people's activities, sharing interests with others, or pretending to play

Signs to be alerted

“Because they have more plastic brains, they are more likely to develop strategies to compensate for brain failure in autistic patients,” he claimed.

Participatory behavior is related to the chronological age of the child.D' Anna said: “International consensus agrees that eye contact is one of the warning signs and the first indicator of the social aspect of communication.

“The presence of gestures such as social smile, smiling, answering his name, throwing a kiss, saying goodbye by hand, pointing out gestures,” he explained. Other signs to keep in mind are the presence of imitation, which is the first word of a one-year-old baby, sharing interests and gestures that bring something to share.

Of course, “the loss of the child's ability to speak and stop talking is always present. These are all actions that we must pay attention to and should not be ignored or minimized.”

The two experts who consulted Infobe agreed that the faster and faster the diagnosis is, the more important it is, since treatment can be started immediately.

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