Publications by authors named "Kristina Hightshoe"

Objective: Early treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can improve developmental outcomes. Children with ASD from minority families often receive services later. We explored factors related to child's age at time of mother's first concerns about child's development and subsequent time to service initiation among children with ASD.

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Article Synopsis
  • Disadvantaged families often face significant barriers in getting timely referrals and diagnoses for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their young children, leading to delays in receiving necessary services.
  • Trained autism family navigators (AFNs) worked with these families to identify and address barriers, providing support through activities like care coordination and education.
  • The study highlighted that many mothers, particularly Latinx and Spanish-speaking, encountered multiple challenges including systemic issues like incomplete screenings and inadequate referrals, underscoring the need for improved healthcare navigation.
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Background And Objectives: Pica, the repeated ingestion of nonfood items, can be life-threatening. Although case reports describe pica in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual disability (ID), there has been little systematic study of pica prevalence. We assessed pica in children 30 to 68 months of age (median = 55.

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Background: Pica, the repeated ingestion of nonfood items, can result in gastrointestinal (GI) outcomes. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities (DDs) are disproportionately affected by both pica and GI symptoms. Study of the inter-relationship between pica, GI symptoms, and ASD/DD is limited.

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Young children with autism spectrum disorder can benefit from early detection and intervention to moderate autism spectrum disorder's effect on their development. Routine screening with standardized instruments facilitates early identification. However, many screen-positive children do not receive referrals for evaluation, complete diagnostic evaluations, or engage in services.

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