An investigation of adherence to best practice guidelines for autism diagnosis in New Zealand

Many clinicians in New Zealand do not follow guidelines for best practice in autism diagnosis. In this study, we investigated the processes that health professionals in New Zealand follow when diagnosing autistic children and adults. We asked 117 health professionals from a range of services and regions in New Zealand, how they identify and diagnose autism.

Citation:
Taylor LJ, Eggleston MJF, Thabrew H, van der Meer L, Waddington H, Whitehouse AJO, Evans K. An investigation of adherence to best practice guidelines for autism diagnosis in New Zealand. Autism. 2021.

Keywords:
Autism spectrum disorder; clinical guidelines; diagnosis; implementation

Abstract:
Many clinicians in New Zealand do not follow guidelines for best practice in autism diagnosis. In this study, we investigated the processes that health professionals in New Zealand follow when diagnosing autistic children and adults. We asked 117 health professionals from a range of services and regions in New Zealand, how they identify and diagnose autism.