Research Article Knowledge of Childhood Autism and Challenges of Management among Medical Doctors in

Copyright © 2015 E. E. Eseigbe et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with serious implications in childhood.There is a significant gap in the identification and provision of health and social services for autism in Africa. The knowledge of autism among health care providers and identifying challenges associated with its management could facilitate bridging the gap and ensuring better outcomes. A self-administered tool, the Knowledge about Childhood Autism among Health Workers (KCAHW) questionnaire, was used in assessing knowledge of autism among 175 medical doctors (participants) attending an annual scientific meeting in northwest Nigeria. Other parameters assessedwere sociodemographic and professional characteristics of the participants and challenges encountered in themanagement of autism. Out of 175 questionnaires distributed, 167 (95.4%) were returned. Good knowledge (KCAHWscore≥15) was significantly associated with being a paediatrician or psychiatrist and practicing in a tertiary health facility