TY - JOUR
T1 - First parental concerns and age at diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder
T2 - A retrospective review from Malaysia
AU - Jayanath, Subhashini
AU - Ozonoff, Sally
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was financially supported by the Chapter of Child Neurology & Developmental Paediatrics (CCNDP) Research Grant 2018, Malaysian Society of Neurosciences.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. This is the first study to examine first parental concerns in ASD in Malaysia. We examined: I) age and type of first parental concerns (AOC); ii) association between AOC and severity; iii) time lag between AOC and diagnosis; and iv) factors associated with diagnostic delay. Methods: Medical records of 366 patients (aged 1–18 years) with ASD, at the Developmental Paediatrics Clinic of University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, were reviewed for this 16-month retrospective cohort study. A validated coding system was used for initial parent concerns. Severity was classified via the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th edition (DSM-5) criteria. Time lag between AOC and age at diagnosis (AOD) was calculated. Potential predictors of delayed diagnosis were extracted. Results: Three-quarters (75.1%) of parents had concerns by 36 months. Speech/language/ communication concerns were most frequent (60.1%). Number of first concerns was significantly correlated with severity (social communication/interaction, SCI [P = 0.019] and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviours and/or interests/activities, RRB [P < 0.001]). AOC and AOD were significantly negatively correlated with SCI and RRB (P < 0.001). Medians; AOC: 24 months, AOD: 46 months and time lag: 17 months. Higher initial screen time was associated with diagnostic delay (P = 0.031). Conclusion: First parental concerns and AOD were comparable to studies across countries. Speech/communication delays may represent universal first parental recognition of ASD.
AB - Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. This is the first study to examine first parental concerns in ASD in Malaysia. We examined: I) age and type of first parental concerns (AOC); ii) association between AOC and severity; iii) time lag between AOC and diagnosis; and iv) factors associated with diagnostic delay. Methods: Medical records of 366 patients (aged 1–18 years) with ASD, at the Developmental Paediatrics Clinic of University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, were reviewed for this 16-month retrospective cohort study. A validated coding system was used for initial parent concerns. Severity was classified via the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th edition (DSM-5) criteria. Time lag between AOC and age at diagnosis (AOD) was calculated. Potential predictors of delayed diagnosis were extracted. Results: Three-quarters (75.1%) of parents had concerns by 36 months. Speech/language/ communication concerns were most frequent (60.1%). Number of first concerns was significantly correlated with severity (social communication/interaction, SCI [P = 0.019] and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviours and/or interests/activities, RRB [P < 0.001]). AOC and AOD were significantly negatively correlated with SCI and RRB (P < 0.001). Medians; AOC: 24 months, AOD: 46 months and time lag: 17 months. Higher initial screen time was associated with diagnostic delay (P = 0.031). Conclusion: First parental concerns and AOD were comparable to studies across countries. Speech/communication delays may represent universal first parental recognition of ASD.
KW - Autism spectrum disorder
KW - Delayed diagnosis
KW - Language delay
KW - Parent concerns
KW - Screen time
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U2 - 10.21315/mjms2020.27.5.8
DO - 10.21315/mjms2020.27.5.8
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85094891308
VL - 27
SP - 78
EP - 89
JO - Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences
JF - Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences
SN - 1394-195X
IS - 5
ER -