Review article

Early assessment of autism spectrum disorder: Theory, research and practice

Maja Cepanec orcid.org/0000-0003-4246-0294 ; Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia
Sanja Šimleša ; Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia
Jasmina Stošić ; Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

An increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the last few decades has resulted in the enhanced interest of professionals, researchers and the public in this disorder. The newest data indicate that the prevalence rate is more than 1:100. ASD is becoming diagnosed at an earlier age and the standard to strive for
is to diagnose children in the preschool period, preferably during the first three years of life. New studies indicate a relatively high reliability of diagnosis if it is made in children whose (mental) age is above 18 months. Since there is still no biomedical marker of ASD, diagnosis is based on behavioral deviations described in diagnostic
manuals (DSM or ICD) that have changed often through time. Contemporary studies on aspects of ASD diagnostics – diagnostic criteria and implications of their frequent changes, age for diagnostic assessment, areas and measures of assessment are presented
in this paper. Moreover, deficiencies in basic prerequisites for early diagnosis of ASD in Croatia are considered as well as possible implications of this unsustainable system on clinical and research practice in our country.

Keywords

autism spectrum disorders; ASD; autism; assessment; behavioral characteristics; biomedical characteristics

Hrčak ID:

169751

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/169751

Publication date:

21.12.2015.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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