Autism Screening in Community Childcare Settings

This session will share data from a completed pilot study utilizing community childcare settings for autism screening. Implementation of the screening process, rate of return and social validity information from the childcare workers whom implemented the screening will be presented. The current recommendation is for autism screening to be completed for all children beginning at age 18 months (Johnson & Myers, 2007). This screening is to be completed during regularly scheduled visits with the pediatrician. Currently 8% of pediatricians screen for autism at an average age of 48 months (Wiggins, Baio & Rice, 2006, Dosreis, Weiner, & Newschaffer, 2008). In addition to this disturbing data 32% of children who are screened positive for autism by a pediatrician do not pursue additional clinical evaluation as recommended (Dietz, Swinkels, Van Daalen, Van Engeland & Buitelaar, 2007). The screening process for autism must be improved. More than 8 million children under the age of five are enrolled in licensed child care settings in the United States (US Census, 2005). These settings may provide an excellent opportunity to provide autism screening. Autism screening can be easily completed via a parental report with an empirically validated screening tool (Robins, Fien, & Barton, 1999). Given the current prevalence of autism, screening for this disability within childcare settings may be plausible.