Correlates of early assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders in Lebanon

Abstract

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders who receive early therapeutic interventions present a better developmental pathway than children who do not. Early assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders is the first step in this process. This study aims at describing the variables that are in play in the first assessment of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual developmental disorders (IDD) in a mental health clinic in Beirut Lebanon. A total of 209 charts covering a period of two years were analysed. Demographic and clinical variables influencing early assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders were found similar to those identified in the international literature with one critical exception, the age at assessment. The average age for diagnosing ASD was four years and seven months and seven years and five months for diagnosing IDD. This finding supports the need for developing a comprehensive national strategy for the early identification of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Keywords:

• early assessment
• autism spectrum disorder
• intellectual developmental disorders
• Lebanon

Notes on contributors

Leyla Akoury-Dirani received her PhD in clinical psychology and psychopathology from Paris 5 University. Since 1987, she has been with the Saint Joseph University of Beirut as maître de conference in different departments. She held academic and administrative positions as the director of the Institut Libanais d'Educateurs at Saint Joseph University. She played a pivotal role in creating the university curricula for speech therapy and psychomotor therapy professionals in Lebanon. Since 2009, Dr Akoury-Dirani has been with the department of psychiatry at the American University of Beirut as an assistant professor – child and adolescent psychologist. In parallel with her clinical work with children and adolescents, Leyla Akoury-Dirani conducted several researches in the field of child and adolescent mental health in Lebanon and worked actively to establish a new trend in dealing with children with neurodevelopmental disorders, developing early intervention programmes for them and including them into the regular education mainstream. Dr Akoury-Dirani established the first therapeutic and special education programme for children with autism spectrum disorder and she is till now very active in supporting the development of this particular field. Dr Akoury-Dirani is currently a member of the working group established by the WHO to revise the ICD-10 classification on Mental Retardation. She is also the president of the Lebanese Psychological Association, an association that aims at paving the road for better practices and researches in the field of psychology in Lebanon.

Mariana M. Salamoun received her BS in biology in 1999 and BA in psychology in 2002 from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. In 2010, she completed her MA in clinical psychology at Haigazian University, Lebanon. She also did a one-year internship in clinical psychology at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. She worked at the Institute for Development Research Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC) as a research associate and general coordinator for seven years (2004–2011). She taught graduate courses in psychology at Notre Dame University, Lebanon, as a part time instructor for a year. Currently, she is a Humphrey Fellow sponsored by the Department of State at the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.