Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | Detection of Ignored neurodevelopmental disorders in Kindergarten: a Proof of Concept Study |
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| Contribution code | D1.124 |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
AIMS Kindergarten is a privileged opportunity to observe children’s behavior in a natural context. This possibility detects signs of derangement in motor and neuropsychological development that are not previously observed. This study aims to assess the feasibility of the screening of ignored neurodevelopmental disorders by observing child behavior and interviewing parents and teachers with structured questionnaires. METHODS 23 children, aged 36 – 61 months, attending two Hebraic schools in Turin and Trieste entered the study. The protocol included three different tests: -ABAS II for Parents (241 items), and for Caregivers (216 items) investigating: Communication, Preschool/School skills, self-control, Playing/leisure, Socializing, Self-Care, Home Care/School, Environmental Use, Health, and Safety. - Structured observation of child behavior during classroom life by expert Neurodevelopmental Disorders Therapists with a checklist containing over 461 items to carefully detect delays in the acquisition of a given capacity according to age-related international developmental nomograms with special attention to language skills( phonetics, grammar- morphosyntax and comprehension). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The integration of the four tests resulted in the recognition of 4 cases in which undetected developmental deficits were evident: two cases of phonetics language deficit one case of cognition deficit and one case of social communication deficit. In conclusion, this experience shows that a structured external observation in a kindergarten coupled with parents' and teachers' Adaptive Behavior Assessments is a feasible and promising approach for the screening and the early detection of neurodevelopmental disorders. |