Screening for autism spectrum disorder in underserved communities: Early childcare providers as reporters

Area of Science:

• Developmental Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Early Childhood Education

Background:

• Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is crucial for intervention and improved outcomes.
• Daycare and preschool settings are underutilized for early ASD identification.
• Minority children face delayed ASD diagnosis, limiting access to timely interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of early childcare providers screening for ASD in underserved communities.
• To determine if preschool/daycare settings can improve early ASD identification rates.

Main Methods:

• Early childcare providers in underserved communities administered autism screening tools to 967 low-risk young children.
• Parental consent was obtained, and screening tools were returned for 90% of eligible children.
• Data analysis focused on screening positive rates and follow-up completion.

Main Results:

• 14% of children screened positive for ASD; 3% met ASD criteria.
• Early childcare providers demonstrated effective screening in a preschool/daycare setting.
• 34% of children who screened positive were lost to follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Early childcare providers can successfully implement autism screening in daycare/preschool settings.
• This strategy can enhance early ASD diagnosis access for underserved populations.
• Preschool-based screening holds potential for reducing healthcare disparities in autism diagnosis.