Open AccessDevelopmental Stages of Developmental Screening: Steps to Implementation of a Successful Program
Author(s) -
Jennifer PintoMartin,
Margaret C. Dunkle,
Marian F. Earls,
Dane Fliedner,
Cynthia Landes
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
american journal of public health (1971)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2004.052167
Subject(s) - autism , autism spectrum disorder , developmental disorder , developmental stage , developmental age , medicine , pediatrics , psychology , family medicine , psychiatry , developmental psychology
Through the use of 2-stage screening strategies, research studies have shown that autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities can now be detected reliably and with greater validity and in children as young as 18 months of age. Screening and diagnostic practices in the medical and educational arena lag far behind clinical research, however, with the average patient age at time of diagnosis being 3 to 6 years.We discuss the challenges of instituting universal developmental screening as part of pediatric care and present 2 models of existing or planned programs of early screening for autism spectrum disorder and developmental disability (1 in a community-based setting and 1 in a pediatric setting), and discuss the pros and cons of the different strategies.