Early identification of autism spectrum disorder in childcare settings: A literature review

Author

MANELI NOURZAD, Université du Québec à MontréalFollow

Volume

30

Number

2

Department

Dept. of Psychology

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Date

2024

Abstract

Timely intervention is key in the development of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and early childhood settings present an opportune environment for early diagnosis, particularly in Canada where the identification of ASD in children below the age of four can be further expanded. This review first summarizes the potential benefits and barriers to early identification of ASD in children. There is robust evidence that early detection can result in improved biological and behavioral outcomes in later stages of life despite the subtle and at times elusive signs of ASD in young children. We then focus on the role early childhood educators (ECEs) can play in screening ASD symptoms and survey promising detection tools suited in childcare. Further research on the application of these tools in the hands of ECEs is needed to increase early identification of ASD signs and ensure positive long-term outcomes.

Keyword

Autism spectrum disorder; prevalence; early screening tools; early childhood settings

Discipline

Psychology

Document Type

article

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Recommended Citation

NOURZAD, MANELI (2024) "Early identification of autism spectrum disorder in childcare settings: A literature review," Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 30: No. 2, Article 1.
Available at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol30/iss2/1