Effectiveness of autism training program introduction at primary health care (PHC) level

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has become a public health issue in many countries especially in developing countries. Family members who have a toddler with ASD face significant physical, emotional, and financial challenges. Early detection is crucial to achieve improvement in children with ASD. Objectives: The aim of the current research is to study the implementation of a training program for Autism in 4 health care facilities and to evaluate its initial outcomes. Methodology: An interventional study conducted among 63 health care workers dealing with children 18-30 months in 4 health care facilities (2 urban health care facilities and 2 rural health care facilities) in Giza governorate. A tailored autism health education message as well as training on using the Arabic validated version of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) were provided to the HCWs. Results: 58.7% of participating primary health care workers (HCWs) had a satisfactory level of awareness about childhood autism prior to the intervention, and 71.4% had a satisfactory level of understanding following it. When comparing the study subjects' pre-intervention knowledge scores to their post-intervention knowledge scores, there was a statistically significant improvement in their knowledge about autism (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The study's findings validate the value of specialized training programs in raising healthcare workers' awareness of childhood autism. Recommendations: Incorporation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within the educational curriculum of medical and nursing schools and ongoing education and training in ASD for health care workers.