Grandma knows best: Family structure and age of diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
Invite grandma and older siblings to screening talks; their watchful eyes speed autism diagnosis by months.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team asked 139 parents when their child got an autism diagnosis.
They also asked how many siblings the child had and how often the child saw grandparents.
Parents answered with a short phone or paper survey.
What they found
Kids who saw grandma at least weekly were diagnosed five months earlier.
Kids with older brothers or sisters were diagnosed ten months earlier.
Close family eyes seem to spot early signs faster.
How this fits with other research
Siklos et al. (2006) found autism parents feel lost without special info and breaks.
Nachum’s work shows grandma can give both info and breaks, closing that gap.
Sivberg (2002) showed these parents feel more strain.
Earlier grandma help may lower that strain by getting help started sooner.
Choi et al. (2012) found kids with autism do not split parents up.
So extra family contact helps without hurting the couple.
Why it matters
You can ask about grandma and siblings at intake.
If they are close, teach them red flags and free screening numbers.
That single step could cut almost a year off wait time and lower parent stress.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This pilot study estimates the effects of family structure on age of diagnosis, with the goal of identifying factors that may accelerate or delay diagnosis. We conducted an online survey with 477 parents of children with autism. In addition, we carried out novel, follow-up surveys of 196 "friends and family," who were referred by parents. Family structure and frequency of interactions with family members have significant effects on age of diagnosis (p < 0.05). In all, 25% of parents report that other individuals indicated that their child might have a serious condition before they themselves suspected it. Moreover, around 50% of friends and family report that they suspected that the child had a serious condition before they were aware that either parent was concerned, suggesting that the clues were there to see, especially for experienced viewers. While half of those individuals shared their concerns with the parents, the other half either did not raise any concern (23%) or just "hinted" at their concern (27%). Among children with siblings, children with an older sibling are diagnosed approximately 10 months earlier (p < 0.01) than those without, and children with no siblings were diagnosed 6-8 months earlier than children with siblings (p < 0.01). Interestingly, frequent interactions with grandparents, especially grandmothers, significantly lowered the age of diagnosis by as much as 5 months (p < 0.05). While this pilot study requires replication, the results identify potential causes for accelerated or delayed diagnosis, which if better understood, could ultimately improve age of diagnosis and treatment, and hence outcomes.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2018 · doi:10.1177/1362361316679632