A new study shows Latino children are at a high risk of a delayed diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder due to language barrier.
"Latino children are diagnosed with ASD less often, and later, than other children, and this study investigated the role pediatricians may play in this delay," American Academy of Pediatrics said in a news release. "The study found that only about 1 in 10 pediatricians were performing recommended developmental screenings in Spanish."
A study findings are published in the September issue of Pediatrics, and it surveyed 267 California primary care pediatricians about identifying Latino children with ASD, according to the news release.
"The most common barrier was lack of access to ASD specialists," the American Academy of Pediatrics said. "The authors conclude that promoting language-appropriate screening, distributing culturally appropriate ASD materials to Latino families, improving the availability of specialists and providing physicians with support in screening and referral for Latino children could help improve early diagnosis for Latino children."
There was another study published in the North American Journal of Medicine and Science relating to the development of kids with ASD.
"Children with ASD chose to engage in play that provided strong sensory feedback, cause-and-effect results, and repetitive motions," said Kathy Ralabate Doody, assistant professor of exceptional education at SUNY Buffalo State, in a news release.
Researcher explained their findings and how they set up their study:
The research was conducted at a monthly event, "Au-some Evening," at Explore & More, a children's museum with exhibits that are designed to engage children through play. The event is open to children with ASD, their families, and their guests.
"The most popular activity among children with ASD was the exhibit 'Climbing Stairs,'" researchers stated in the news release. "Children who climbed a short staircase could then drop a ball and watch it descend. Another popular activity involved a windmill. Children can push its arms, causing it to spin. A table filled with rice completed the top three exhibits among children with ASD."
