Occupational therapists' perspectives on screening for autism in early intervention

Early signs of autism can be identified in children as young as 6-9 months; however, screening tools to identify characteristics of autism in young children are underutilized by pediatricians. This qualitative study aimed to 1) understand the role of occupational therapists (OTs) in early intervention teams when identifying and intervening with infants and toddlers demonstrating early markers of autism, and 2) determine the readiness and capability of OTs within early intervention to utilize autism screening tools in practice. Two semi-structured 90-minute focus groups were conducted with 13 OTs with current or past work experience in early intervention settings across Los Angeles, California. Participants expressed pride in their versatile role on early intervention teams; however, they had mixed feelings about the value of formal autism screening. Even when they were confident about their ability to detect early autism signs, participants cited numerous barriers related to knowledge of screening, stigma related to autism, and reliance on other providers such as pediatricians. These qualitative findings illuminate a need for mitigating expressed barriers to service delivery, bolstering education on screening procedures, and capitalizing on the adaptability of OTs in early intervention practice in order to advance the role of OTs in initiating the early autism screening process.