Preschoolers assessed for autism: parent and teacher experiences of the diagnostic process

Abstract

Many parents of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have often been recommended to "wait and see" when they have first expressed concerns. This comparative, descriptive, partly longitudinal questionnaire study aimed to evaluate parent/preschool teacher experiences as regards time of first concern about the child and about the diagnostic process at a specialized Child Neuropsychiatry Clinic. Participants were parents and teachers of 34 preschool children with suspected ASD (26 boys, 8 girls, mean age 37 months) drawn from a general population cohort. Most of the parents, and the teachers, had their first concern about the child's development before the child's second birthday. Generally, they were satisfied with the diagnostic process and did not regret their participation in it.

Keywords: Assessment; Autism spectrum disorder; Children; Early diagnosis; Parents; Preschool; Teachers.