Autism spectrum disorder diagnosis age and associated factors in a northern minas gerais population
International Journal of Development Research
Autism spectrum disorder diagnosis age and associated factors in a northern minas gerais population
Received 29th October, 2020; Received in revised form 14th November, 2020; Accepted 20th December, 2020; Published online 30th January, 2021
Copyright©2021, Fernanda Alves Maia, Ana Júlia Soares Oliveira, Vanessa Souza De Araújo Saeger, Laura Vicuna Santos Bandeira, Maria Rachel Alves , Steffany Lara Nunes Oliveira, Ionara Aparecida Mendes Cezar , Luiz Fernando de Rezende, , Marise Fagundes Silveira, 2021. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original
work is properly cited.
Early diagnosis and intervention are determining factors for the best prognosis for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with significant and lasting gains for their development. However, even though ASD can be diagnosed safely at 24 months of age, many children are still diagnosed late. The present study aimed to investigate the age of diagnosis of ASD in children and adolescents from the north of Minas Gerais. 221 children/adolescents with ASD participated in this study, aged between two and 14 years of age. The estimated average age of diagnosis of ASD was 3.6 years (SD = 2.6). It was found that younger children were diagnosed earlier, with a mean age of 2.4 years (SD = 1.5). The following factors were associated with the age of diagnosis of ASD: advanced maternal age and mothers who declared themselves to be white. Children/adolescents in this study tended to be diagnosed, at around three and a half years of age, differing from previous studies that pointed to a later age of diagnosis. Recommended capacitation about this disorder, both for education and health professionals, as they will be instrumental in promoting early referrals for diagnosis, better prognosis, and more effective inclusive practices.
