Psychomotor function of children with autistic spectrum disorder – is a progress possible in six months period?

Joint Event on 7^th International Conference on Advances in Skin, Wound Care and Tissue Science & 11^th International Conference on Epidemiology & Public HealthSurgery

September 25-26, 2019 Copenhagen, Denmark

Valdis Folkmanis

University of Latvia, Latvia

Keynote: J Tissue Sci Eng

Abstract :

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a diagnosis that describes a social communication deficits and repetitive sensorymotor behaviours. The effect of different kinds of therapies in the case of ASD is proposed but not fully proven, and scientific evidence is controversial. In this study we aimed to investigate progress in psychomotor function of children with ASD that participated in different kinds of therapies. The study sample consisted of 100 children 2-5 years old that attended the Children Clinical University Hospital and the Social Paediatrics Centre of the University of Latvia at 2013-2015. After initial assessment of psychomotor function by childâ??s physician, children participated in different kinds of therapies or did not participate in any therapy, according to decision of their parents. The second assessment was performed 6-8 months after the baseline examination. Multiple logistic regression models adjusted for age, compliance of development to age norms, and initial diagnosis of a child were built for the association between attendance of therapies and improvement of psychomotor functions. In fully adjusted multiple logistic regression models, participation in any kind of the therapy was significantly associated with improvement of some or all psychomotor functions. For example, Montessori therapy was especially effective for improvement of hearing and fine motor skills (odds ratio, OR=19.3 [95% confidence interval, CI 1,7; 221.1], and OR=3.8 [2.81; 757.0], respectively). To conclude: Attending a therapy is essential for children with ASD, but specific type of a therapy should be matched to the needs of each child individually.

Biography :

Valdis Folkmanis holds a position of professor a dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Latvia. His scientific work is related to Montessori therapeutic methods with specific interests on the effect of different methods of therapy on improvement of life skills of children with Autism spectrum disorders. He is a founder of the Centre of Social Pediatrics in Riga, Latvia, and serves a director of this center for more than fifteen years. He is an author of multiple publications in scientific journals and participated with presentations at different international medical conferences and congresses.

E-mail: Valdis.Folkmanis@lu.lv