A new approach leads to earlier autism diagnosis for children

A new approach leads to earlier autism diagnosis for children

Greater collaboration between child health services and specialist care has resulted in faster support for young children with autism. A study by the University of Gothenburg shows that on average children are diagnosed one year earlier.

Today, when young children show signs of autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders, such as difficulties with social communication or repetitive behavior, it can take a long time for them to be evaluated and receive the proper support.

In recent years, the pediatric and adolescent medicine department at Disgruntled Hospital in Gothenburg has been testing a new approach that brings together child health services, specialists and the community, including the preschool. The initiative involved training pediatric nurses to identify early signs of autism, as well as introducing a structure whereby children suspected of having autism receive immediate support from child health services and a referral for assessment by a specialist.

Quick access to interventions

This evaluation shows that the initiative has achieved positive results. Families have received help sooner, and the average age at which children with autism are diagnosed has fallen from an average of three years and eight months to two years and seven months.

The earlier we can identify children with autism, the better we can support them. We see families getting help sooner, without having to wait several years for an assessment. “

Emilia Carlsson, senior lecturer in speech and language pathology at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and researcher at the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center

Angry where the approach is being tested is a district in northeast Gothenburg where many families have immigrant backgrounds and the health service has previously had difficulty with outreach. The collaboration developed in the project is now well established and remains in place.

Training and resources

The study shows that improved collaboration between different parts of the healthcare system can make a big difference for children and parents. The model can be implemented in other regions, although it requires health care training and resources as soon as autism is suspected - not just after a long period of time for assessment and intervention.

“More knowledge between healthcare workers and effective collaboration allows us to help families immediately and give them the support they need,” says Gudrun Nygren, pediatrician, child and adolescent psychiatrist and researcher at the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, the University of Gothenburg and the co-author of the study.

The study is published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Pediatrics. The development project was carried out with support from regional social investment funds, while the study was financed with regional R&D funds from the Västra Götaland region.

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