Factors That Influence Parents Toward Detection of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Autism is defined as a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, present from very early time, which upsets the development of social behavior and communication. The disorder persists throughout life and co-occurring neurological or psychological difficulties are frequent. Regardless of advances in our understanding of symptoms, the causes stay generally unspecified and the most valuable interventions remain vague. In spite of several interventions and services now in use relatively, few have been tested scientifically (Mills&Marchant, 2011). Growing evidence on the effectiveness of early intervention programs on outcomes highlights the need for early identification of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Therapeutic approaches may support the individual to make use of their developmental potentials and ensure participation in social life. Moreover, parents have a better insight into their child’s needs, can understand their behaviors and may create an ASD friendly environment. Despite the advantages of an early diagnosis, ASD often remains undetected and thus untreated (Sappok et al. 2015). So, to provide reinforcement to parents with an autistic child, a multi-disciplinary team is needed because of the complexity of the features of autism. A multi-disciplinary team should consist of medical doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and social workers. Pediatric nurses and pediatric nurse practitioners can play an influential role in helping with developmental assessment, autism screening, and probably the formal diagnosis of children with autism spectrum disorder (Inglese, 2009) & (Lendenmann, 2010). The aim of the Study: The aim of this study was to assess factors that influence parents toward detection of autism spectrum disorder. Research question: This study is based on answering the following question: - What are the factors that influence parents toward detection of autism spectrum disorder? Research settings: This study was conducted in autism outpatient clinic at El–Abbasia Mental Hospital. Subjects of the study: The whole sample was formed of 100 parents having a child with autism spectrum disorder recruited over a period of 6 months. Tools of data collection: Data were collected using the following tools: 1-Interviewing Questionnaire of Socio-demographic data: It was constructed by (Barrie, 2010) and adapted by the investigator after reviewing the literature in this field; the investigator edited the sheets of the tool. This section included brief personal profile questions about parents and their children as sex, age, marital status, relation to the child, child’s date of birth, child sex, comorbid with other disorders, other medical conditions, siblings diagnosed with ASD and number of siblings. 2- Interview questionnaire about factors that influence parents toward detection of autism spectrum disorder. It was constructed by (Barrie, 2010) and adapted by the researcher after reviewing the literature in this field. Maternal education, household income, initial concerns, age at diagnosis and general self-efficacy.