Revista de embarazo y salud infantil

Abstracto

Improving Quality Care for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Doctors Office or Outpatient Clinics

Shafiqa Mohammed Al-Sharif*, Suba Sivakumar and Manikkavasaghar Thiruvasahar

Psychological problems, communication challenges and cognitive impairment are often present in children with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). When children with ASD require medical treatment, healthcare teams’ inability to access relevant medical and behavioral information, lack of awareness of these challenges, and poor preparedness to deal with unusual and unexpected behaviours can lead to suboptimal care. Children’s behavioral issues can hinder proper diagnosis and necessary medical procedures that need to be performed by health care professionals. This paper briefly describes the behavioral and psychological issues in children with ASD and raises awareness for interventional measures and best practices that could be adapted by health care professionals at family practice to improve quality care for children with ASD.