"Autism not recognized early on"

[King_Oni]

Dutch newsoutlets had a little article on autism today; Took the liberty to translate because... google translate...

"Autism not recognized early on"

Adults with a late autism onset spend roughly 8 years between specialists before they get the correct diagnosis. Because of this they don't get the proper treatment and support. This is a conclusion study group Vanuit autisme bekeken (From autisms perspective) made.

The most prominent cause of the delay is people often end up with a different diagnosis first. Other psychic illnesses and disorders get noticed sooner and autism becomes an oversight. "The treatment doesn't connect with the patient because of this" says researcher Patricia van Deurzen.

Improvement

There is a some improvement according to the group. On average people go through 3 courses before they hear about their autism diagnosis; in 2000 it took, on average 7 courses for each person.

The diagnosis for adults often takes years because, according to the researchers, they see autism specialists too late. The group also wants general practicioners to have more specialized knowledge about it to step in early on.

"One of our researchers is, as child- and youthpsychiatrist, also connected to a general practicioners office. He can be called in if there's an suspicion of autism." says Van Deurzen. "It would decrease the time spend towards diagnosis greatly".

The group researched 800 files of 2 different institutions. The group was made up out of experts and patients. They will present State secretary Van Rijn (Volksgezondheid, welzijn en sport/Health, welfare and sport) the report today (Juli 3rd 2015).

Source; 'Autisme niet op tijd herkend' | NOS