<
https://theconversation.com/mistake-discovered-in-autism-guidelines-many-could-have-missed-a-diagnosis-156909>
"If a person thinks they might have autism, they will usually see their general
practitioner as the first port of call. The GP will use a screening test to
help them decide if the person should be referred to a specialist for a formal
diagnosis.
However, we recently discovered, by chance, an error in the clinical guidelines
doctors use when making their initial autism assessment. That guideline is
published by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice),
and it also informs clinical guidelines internationally.
The guideline on autism recommends that doctors use the autism spectrum
quotient (AQ10) to measure autistic traits. AQ10 contains ten statements about
autistic traits, such as, “I find it difficult to work out people’s
intentions”, which reflects research showing that autistic people find it
difficult to understand what other people are thinking. The maximum score is
ten, and higher scores represent more autistic traits.
Nice recommends that people who score seven or more should be referred for a
full diagnostic assessment by their doctors, but the correct value should be
six or more. Nice examined the suitability of the AQ10 based on research in
2012 showing that a value of six or more was optimal, but the final guidance
appears to be incorrectly published with the “seven or more” recommendation.
A score of six or more is the optimal screening value because this makes the
AQ10 sensitive enough to help identify autistic adults but also specific enough
to help rule out people without autism.
The difference between six and seven might not seem large, but a one-point
difference on a test with only ten statements has a big impact. The incorrect
seven or more cut-off recommended by Nice makes the AQ10 far less sensitive.
This is because many people who score six are likely to be autistic but may not
have been referred for clinical assessments as needed.
Autism diagnoses may have been delayed as a result, and some people may not
have been diagnosed at all. Many people will not have received the correct
support at the right time and are likely to have experienced additional mental
health difficulties, such as anxiety, which commonly accompany autism."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
