RECEIVING A DIAGNOSIS OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) IN PAKISTAN

For children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), early intervention can have a positive impact on their cognitive, social, and linguistic development outcomes if they are diagnosed at an early age (Fujiwara et al. 2011). Getting a diagnosis of ASD in a country with limited resources, such as Pakistan, can be difficult and time-consuming for families of children with the disorder. This is because of the lack of trained mental health professionals and a lack of general knowledge about autism spectrum disorders (Elsabbagh et al. 2012; Malhotra and Vikas, 2005; Sharan, 2008; Samadi, 2011; Tareen et al. 2008; WHO, 2005). This study is a subset of a wider investigation of the most effective means of knowledge transfer for Pakistani parents of children with ASD. Data was collected using a questionnaire, interviews, and a focus group. Results indicated that child's mean age at diagnosis was 4 years and 4 months (SD = 1.9), with a range of 6 months to 10 years. According to the study's findings, parents had numerous difficulties in obtaining an ASD diagnosis for their child. For up to seven years in some circumstances, parents were unable to receive a diagnosis that matched their child's symptoms