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Hussain A, John JR, Dissanayake C, Frost G, Girdler S, Karlov L, Masi A, Alach T, Eapen V. Sociocultural factors associated with detection of autism among culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia. BMC Pediatr 2023; 23:415. [PMID: 37612588 PMCID: PMC10463473 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04236-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The age at which parents or caregivers first develop concerns about their child's development has significant implications on formal diagnosis and intervention. This study aims to determine the sociocultural factors that are associated with the age and type of first concern reported by parents of autistic children among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Australia. We also assessed whether sociocultural factors predict autism traits measured in terms of social affect (SA), restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRB), and calibrated severity scores (CSS). METHODS This study is a secondary data analysis of the data collected from six Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres (ASELCCs) as part of the Autism Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) program between 2015 and 2019. Data analysed in this study included a family history questionnaire with sociodemographic and sociocultural information, parent-reported age and type of first concern, and clinician/researcher administered Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule - Second Edition (ADOS-2) which includes standardised domain-wise scores of social affect (SA) and restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRB) as well as calibrated severity scores (CSS), a measure of severity of autism. Primary analysis included multivariable linear regression models to examine the predictive influence of sociodemographic and sociocultural factors on the dependant variables of age of concern (AOC) and the autism traits (SA, RRB, and CSS). RESULTS The mean AOC in the sample was 18.18 months and the most common concerns were speech/language delay, limited social interaction, and hyperactivity/behavioural changes. The multivariable linear regression models showed factors such as increase in age of child, those from a CALD background, annual family income, sibling's autism diagnosis, and developmental concerns to be significantly associated with parental AOC. Additionally, we also found that increase in child's age and CALD status to be significant predictors of autism trait (RRB) and severity measured in terms of the CSS score. Further, females (compared to males) were associated with higher difficulties with social communication and interaction skills. CONCLUSION Understanding key factors that contribute to early identification of autism can help tailor awareness programs for parents and caregivers, whilst also informing the development of services focused on serving all CALD communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniqa Hussain
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - James Rufus John
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Cheryl Dissanayake
- School of Psychology and Public Health, Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Grace Frost
- Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre, Prospect, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sonya Girdler
- School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lisa Karlov
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anne Masi
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Tasha Alach
- Director of Therapy and Clinical Services, Autism Association of Western Australia Inc, Subiaco, WA, Australia
| | - Valsamma Eapen
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Bruno G, Chan TA, Zwaigenbaum L, Coombs E, Nicholas D. Indigenous Autism in Canada: A Scoping Review. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06045-z. [PMID: 37480443 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06045-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Currently there is a severe lack of research on autism and Indigenous people in Canada. This scoping review explores this literature gap and assesses the same literature from an Indigenous perspective. Scoping reviews are an effective means to explore the literature in a specific area, in this case, autism and Indigenous people in Canada. We explored existing literature as it pertains to Indigenous populations and autism in Canada. To support this review, the Indigenous Quality Assessment Tool (QAT) was adapted to appraise the quality of literature. In total, there were a total of 212 articles identified of which 24 met the inclusion criteria: (1) some focus on autism, (2) a component specific to Indigenous people, and (3) specific to Canada. Of the 24 articles and reports, 15 were peer-reviewed and the rest considered grey literature. Most articles focused on program delivery with some literature using primary data (quantitative and/or qualitative). Overall, the quality of the research was appraised as poor, as determined by the QAT. Findings reaffirm the critical need for research that addresses autism in Indigenous communities within Canada and show the importance of having research done in full partnership with, or led by, Indigenous people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant Bruno
- Department of Pediatrics, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, University of Alberta, 11405- 87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1C9, Canada.
- Samson Cree Nation, Maskwacîs, AB, Canada.
| | | | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta c/o Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, 10230 111th Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T5G 0B, Canada
| | - Emily Coombs
- Department of Educational Psychology, Counselling Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - David Nicholas
- Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
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da Costa GE, Fernandes GL, Rodrigues JCG, da V. B. Leal DF, Pastana LF, Pereira EEB, Assumpção PP, Burbano RMR, dos Santos SEB, Guerreiro JF, Fernandes MR, dos Santos NPC. Exome Evaluation of Autism-Associated Genes in Amazon American Populations. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13020368. [PMID: 35205412 PMCID: PMC8871861 DOI: 10.3390/genes13020368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder, affecting one in 160 children worldwide. The causes of autism are still poorly understood, but research shows the relevance of genetic factors in its pathophysiology, including the CHD8, SCN2A, FOXP1 and SYNGAP1 genes. Information about the genetic influence on various diseases, including autism, in the Amerindian population from Amazon, is still scarce. We investigated 35 variants of the CHD8, SCN2A, FOXP1, and SYNGAP1 gene in Amazonian Amerindians in comparison with publicly available population frequencies from the 1000 Genomes Project database. Our study identified 16 variants in the Amerindian population of the Amazon with frequencies significantly different from the other populations. Among them, the SCN2A (rs17183814, rs75109281, and rs150453735), FOXP1 (rs56850311 and rs939845), and SYNGAP1 (rs9394145 and rs115441992) variants presented higher frequency than all other populations analyzed. In addition, nine variants were found with lower frequency among the Amerindians: CHD8 (rs35057134 and rs10467770), SCN2A (rs3769951, rs2304014, rs1838846, and rs7593568), FOXP1 (rs112773801 and rs56850311), and SYNGAP1 (rs453590). These data show the unique genetic profile of the indigenous population of the Brazilian Amazon. Knowledge of these variants can help to understand the pathophysiology and diagnosis of autism among Amerindians, Brazilians, and in admixed populations that have contributions from this ethnic group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovana E. da Costa
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (G.E.d.C.); (G.L.F.); (J.C.G.R.); (D.F.d.V.B.L.); (L.F.P.); (R.M.R.B.); (S.E.B.d.S.); (N.P.C.d.S.)
| | - Giordane L. Fernandes
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (G.E.d.C.); (G.L.F.); (J.C.G.R.); (D.F.d.V.B.L.); (L.F.P.); (R.M.R.B.); (S.E.B.d.S.); (N.P.C.d.S.)
| | - Juliana C. G. Rodrigues
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (G.E.d.C.); (G.L.F.); (J.C.G.R.); (D.F.d.V.B.L.); (L.F.P.); (R.M.R.B.); (S.E.B.d.S.); (N.P.C.d.S.)
| | - Diana F. da V. B. Leal
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (G.E.d.C.); (G.L.F.); (J.C.G.R.); (D.F.d.V.B.L.); (L.F.P.); (R.M.R.B.); (S.E.B.d.S.); (N.P.C.d.S.)
| | - Lucas F. Pastana
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (G.E.d.C.); (G.L.F.); (J.C.G.R.); (D.F.d.V.B.L.); (L.F.P.); (R.M.R.B.); (S.E.B.d.S.); (N.P.C.d.S.)
| | - Esdras E. B. Pereira
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (E.E.B.P.); (P.P.A.); (J.F.G.)
| | - Paulo P. Assumpção
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (E.E.B.P.); (P.P.A.); (J.F.G.)
| | - Rommel M. R. Burbano
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (G.E.d.C.); (G.L.F.); (J.C.G.R.); (D.F.d.V.B.L.); (L.F.P.); (R.M.R.B.); (S.E.B.d.S.); (N.P.C.d.S.)
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (E.E.B.P.); (P.P.A.); (J.F.G.)
| | - Sidney E. B. dos Santos
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (G.E.d.C.); (G.L.F.); (J.C.G.R.); (D.F.d.V.B.L.); (L.F.P.); (R.M.R.B.); (S.E.B.d.S.); (N.P.C.d.S.)
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (E.E.B.P.); (P.P.A.); (J.F.G.)
| | - João F. Guerreiro
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (E.E.B.P.); (P.P.A.); (J.F.G.)
| | - Marianne R. Fernandes
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (G.E.d.C.); (G.L.F.); (J.C.G.R.); (D.F.d.V.B.L.); (L.F.P.); (R.M.R.B.); (S.E.B.d.S.); (N.P.C.d.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Ney P. C. dos Santos
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (G.E.d.C.); (G.L.F.); (J.C.G.R.); (D.F.d.V.B.L.); (L.F.P.); (R.M.R.B.); (S.E.B.d.S.); (N.P.C.d.S.)
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil; (E.E.B.P.); (P.P.A.); (J.F.G.)
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