Early Childhood Autism Surveillance

描述（由申请人提供）：公众对自闭症谱系障碍的关注因学龄前和学龄前儿童患病率增加的报道而加剧。虽然ASD的发病是在出生后的前36个月内，但出生后前3年的患病率尚未确定。该提案旨在开发和试点测试方法，用于儿童早期ASD监测，为随后的一年出生队列患病率研究做准备。新的数据表明，自闭症可以在3岁以下的儿童中发现。然而，它是否在生命的第一年，第二年或第三年明显可能会有所不同，特别是如果孩子经历了发育倒退。本申请提出了一项基于人群的患病率研究设计，该研究将对18-36个月的儿童进行为期2年的随访，并在整个过程中进行重复筛查，以捕获自闭症表现的儿童。本提案的具体目标是对这种筛查方法进行试点测试，并建立进行全面流行率研究所需的关系和数据联系。此外，我们将完成其他CDC流行率研究中使用的记录审查方法，并比较直接筛查和记录审查之间的病例率，以确定在该年龄范围内仅进行记录审查是否足够。这项研究响应了机构间自闭症协调委员会概述的几个优先事项，包括呼吁进行密集的，以社区为基础的患病率研究，并进行临床评估，这些研究可以随着时间的推移重复进行，以确定患病率的变化，开发基于社区的方法对非常年幼的儿童进行筛查，并测试筛查工具。该应用程序建立在犹他州自闭症研究的基础上，其中包括：ADDM网络研究2002年;大学和卫生部之间建立的关系;广泛的社区支持自闭症研究;和强大的大学研究环境。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Public concern about Autism Spectrum Disorders has been fueled by reports of increased prevalence in school age and preschool children. While the onset of ASD is within the first36 months of life, prevalence during the first 3 years of life is not established. This proposal aims to develop and pilot test methods for ASD surveillance in early childhood, in preparation for a subsequent prevalence study of a single year birth cohort. Emerging data indicate that autism can be identified in children under age 3. However, whether it is evident in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year of life can vary, especially if the child experiences a developmental regression. The current application presents a design for a population-based prevalence study that would follow children from ages 18-36 months for a 2 year period, with repeated screenings throughout to capture children as their autism manifests. Specific aims for the current proposal are to pilot test this screening approach, and to establish the relationships and data linkages necessary to conduct the full prevalence study. In addition, we will complete the record review methods used in other CDC prevalence studies and compare case rates between direct screening and record review only to determine whether record review alone is sufficient in this age range. This study responds to several of the priorities outlined by the lnteragency Autism Coordinating Committee, including a call for intensive, community-based prevalence studies with clinical evaluations that can be repeated over time to determine changes in prevalence, methods to develop community-based screening of very young children, and testing of screening tools. This application builds on a foundation of Utah research on autism that includes: ADDM network Study Year 2002; an established relationship between the University and the Health Department; widespread community support for autism research; and a strong University research environment.