RESUMO
Introduction: Diagnosis of autism is based on the presence of social interactional and communication impairment and certain behavioural characteristics. Most documented accounts on symptom profiles in autism come from developed countries and studies on ethnically different populations are few, although this knowledge is crucial to screening and early recognition. Common presentation of autism in Sri Lanka has not been identified. Method: The data for this descriptive study was obtained from an existing computerised data-base of a clinical cohort of children diagnosed with autism. Diagnosis was made on prospective data gathered from: (i) parental report on development and behaviour and (ii) direct observational assessment of social interaction and communication, quality of play and abnormal patterns of behaviour. Final diagnosis of autism was made on fulfillment of DSM IV-TR diagnostic criteria. Results: Data on 244 children was analysed. Mean age was 35.8 months (SD 12.44, median 35.8, mode 30 months, range 13 to 96 months). Average age of diagnosis of the sample was 35.8 months. 48.2% presented at 25-36 months of age. The majority (77.4%) were male. Poor development of speech for age was the primary concern of parents in 82.3%. Hyperactivity, abnormal play behaviour, and social un-connectedness were reported as presenting problems only in 4.9%, 1.2% and 1.2% respectively. On assessment, the presence of a range of behavioural problems (14.6%), stereotyped behaviours (24.3%) and regression of speech (47.3%) was elicited. Co-occurring physical disorders were present in 18.8% with 10.6% having a seizure disorder. Atypical autism was diagnosed in 20.8%. There was no statistically significant association between age of presentation and type of presenting problem or associated disorders (p>0.05). Conclusions: Poor development of speech was the primary concern of parents to seek medical help irrespective of age. The rate of recognizing social impairment and other main characteristics of autism was low.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of language, intelligent and social quotients in children with speech and language disorder and to evaluate the clinical usefulness of language quotient for predicting the extents of cognitive and social functions. METHOD: Total 139 children who visited the department of rehabilitation medicine for the evaluation of suspected speech-language delay. All children were evaluated for receptive and expressive language quotients, articulation accuracy, verbal, performance and full-scale intelligent quotients and social maturation assessment. RESULTS: Approximately 70% of the children who had chief complaints of speech or language disorder were diagnosed as 'receptive and expressive language developmental delay'. Intelligent and social quotients of the children with receptive and expressive language developmental delay were significantly lower than those of the other groups (p<0.05). Both receptive and expressive language quotients, but not dysarticulation, were significantly correlated with intelligent and social quotients (p<0.05). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the language quotients could predict intelligent and social quotients as simple equations (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Primary result of receptive and expressive language quotients from screening test of language evaluation might be able to predict cognitive function and social maturity, which also showed high-degree positive correlation with intelligent and social quotients. This result could provide a useful guideline for further developmental studies in children with speech and language disorder who received primary speech evaluation.