Autism and the Nursing Approach
Özet
Autism, first described by Leo Kanner in 1943, is the best-known of the neurodevelopmental disorders. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of autism. It is more common in boys than in girls. The most widely used autism screening tool for children is the M-CHAT Revised with Follow-up (MCHAT-R/F). The early diagnosis of autism increases the chances of successful treatment. The exact cause of autism is still not fully understood. The diagnosis of autism is based on the child’s developmental history and behaviour. It is very important to take the child for routine health check-ups so that their development can be monitored. It is recommended that developmental and behavioural assessments of the child are also carried out during health check-ups at 9, 18 and 30 months in particularly. In these developmental assessments, paediatric nurses play a significant role. The symptoms of autism are examined in terms of two dimensions: ‘deficits in social and communicative skills’ and ‘restricted, repetitive behaviours and interests’. In particular, as the symptoms of autism are distinct in children and can be distinguished from other developmental delays, the condition is typically diagnosed between 18 and 24 months of age.
İlk olarak 1943 yılında Leo Kanner tarafından tanımlanmış olan Otizm, yaygın gelişimsel bozuklukların en bilinenidir. Son yıllarda Otizm sıklığında belirgin bir artış görülmektedir. Erkeklerde kız çocuklarına göre daha sıktır. Çocuklar için Otizm tarama araçlarından en yaygın kullanılan, M-CHAT Revised with Follow-up (MCHAT-R/F)’dır. Otizmin, erken dönemde saptanması, tedavideki başarı sansı artırmaktadır. OSB’nin kesin nedeni hala tam olarak bilinmemektedir. OSB tanılaması için çocuğun gelişim öyküsüne ve davranışlarına bakılmaktadır. Çocuğun gelişimsel izleminin yapılabilmesi için ise rutin sağlık kontrolüne götürülmesi çok önemlidir. Özellikle 9. ay, 18. ay ve 30. aydaki sağlık kontrolleri sırasında çocuğun gelişimsel ve davranışsal taramalarının da yapılması önerilmektedir. Bu gelişimsel izlemlerde ise çocuk hemşirelerinin rolü büyüktür. Otizm belirtileri; “sosyal-iletişimsel alanda yetersizlik” ve “sınırlı, tekrarlayıcı davranışlar ve ilgi alanları” olarak iki boyutta ele alınarak incelenmektedir. Özellikle, çocukta otizm bulgularının belirgin olması ve diğer gelişimsel gecikmelerden ayırt edilebilmesi nedeniyle 18-24 aylar arasında teşhis edilmektedir.
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