Características de las áreas del neurodesarrollo a partir de la aplicación del modelo Denver de atención temprana en niños con trastorno del espectro autista, de 1 a 5 años, del Centro de Diagnóstico e Intervención “Desafíos” en el año 2020

Abstract

Abstract: The autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is mainly characterized by a partial or total lack of the child’s communication and social skills, directly affecting their socio-educational integration in some cases, as well as their learning skills, with a consequent limitation on standard and emotional affective practices. Overall objective: Describing the characteristics of the neurodevelopmental areas starting with the application of the Early Start Denver Model on children with autism spectrum disorder between 1 and 5 years old from the “Desafíos” Diagnostic and Intervention Center in the year 2020. Materials and methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive research was developed based on information from 43 cases of children with ASD. The analyzed variables were: age, sex, origin, ASD diagnosis, and neurodevelopmental areas, applying a percentage distribution and its relation through a Chi-squared test. Data collection was conducted through a registration form and the curriculum checklist from the ESDM and processed on Microsoft Excel 2019 and SPSS 28.0. Results: The age distribution (in months) resulted in: 48.84% ages 37 to 48; 25.58% ages 25 to 36 years old; 20.93% ages 49 to 60 and 4.65% ages 12 to 24. 67.44% were boys and 32.56% were girls (2:1). The 90.70% lived in Azuay. The highest incidence was grade 2 ASD with 46.51%; grade 3 with 30,23% and grade 1 with 23.26%. The 18 to 24 months development level prevailed in expressive communication (34.88%), social skills (37.21%), and adaptive behavior (39.53%). The 24 to 36 months prevailed in receptive communication (41.86%), cognition (41,86%), playing abilities (37.21%), and fine and gross motor skills (39.53%). The relationship between the development level and ASD severity was determined as (p< 0,001 y p= 0,002.) Conclusion: The development of neurological dimensions in children with ASD is strongly related to the severity of the diagnosed ASD, showing a higher influence on communication and social skills, adaptative behavior, and personal independence thus, being the most affected areas.