The Route to Autism Spectrum Diagnosis in Pediatric Practice in Bulgaria.

ABSTRACT: Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) before the age of three years is a challenge. Analyzing the present practice may help reaching that goal. To investigate developmental abnormalities and diagnostic pathway of ASD patients in pediatric practice. Retrospective cross-sectional study of 192 children aged 13 months to 17 years 11 months (average 4 years 9 months), investigated in an outpatient and hospital setting from January 2015 to June 2018 by a semi-structured history and clinical examination, and diagnosed with ASD by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria. Behavioral peculiarities were detected in the history of the first two years of life in 74.8% of the subjects. The first developmental abnormalities were noticed by the parents a

SUBMITTER: Ivanov I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7827839 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature