Research Summary and Ethical Considerations - Essay Example

The purpose of the research is to determine if autism can successfully and accurately be detected at an early age. The objective of the study is to establish the possibility of implementing a broadband screen during the regular 1-year check-up to detect cases of developmental delay (DD), language delay (LD), and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The interest in the study is based on the evidence provided by neuroscience that shows the profound effect on the developing brain of early environmental manipulation.

There could be an opportunity, therefore, to diagnose and provide intervention to cases of autism at as early as 12 months to have a possibility of altering the usual outcome for affected children (Pierce et al., 2011, p.458). Methods of Study A quantitative study involving 10,479 infants who were screened during the 1-year check-up was done. The longitudinal study involved 6 follow-up evaluations on infants who performed below the expected developmental score, with each evaluation at 6-month intervals.

To obtain typical control subjects, the 137 involved pediatricians randomly selected infants who passed the screening. Control or at-risk statuses were not given importance, as all families were equally accepted if they expressed interest to participate in the study. The categorization of the infants was based on the infant’s age and present diagnosis during the 1-year check-up. . Fourth, infants who performed below the normal developmental norm scores were referred to intervention. Fifth, infants undergoing intervention were evaluated every 6 months until age 3 years (Pierce et al., 2011, p.459).

Results of Study Of the 10,479 infants screened during the 1-year check-up, 184 infants scored low on the expected developmental norms. They were referred for intervention and their developments were tracked. By the time the study was published, 9 infants received provisional or final diagnosis of DD, 56 of LD, 32 of ASD, and 36 of “other.” The 5 infants who were initially positively tested for ASD no longer met the criteria during the follow-up. The rest of the sample was false positive results.

The entire study shows that screening for autism during the 1-year well-baby check-up is a promising method to detect cases of DD, LD, and ASD at an early age. The study greatly impacts all areas of nursing. The nursing intervention that can be considered as the best evidence-based nursing practice is the consistent evaluation of the child's development. Nurses should be familiar with developmental milestones to be able to detect any possible deviations from what is normal. Through this, and through open communication with the child’s family, the nurse can serve as an instrument in having the child undergo a test in order to diagnose the condition and provide intervention as early as possible.

Nurses can effectively apply such practice and encourage parents to participate in such developments. However, the weakness of this study is in the follow-up, because there are still chances where diagnosis will change after the one-year well-baby check-up, and not all participants were given