An exploration of nursing professionals’ understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder

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dc.contributor.advisorShabalala, Nokuthulaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMatenge, Batetshien_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-05-26T14:19:07Z
dc.date.available2015-05-26T14:19:07Z
dc.date.issued2014en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThe number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder is increasing at an alarming rate. Research indicates that early identification and diagnosis is key in terms of children receiving early intervention. However, many children are not being identified as early as possible by their primary health care providers. This research investigated nursing professional’s experiences of working with autism spectrum disorder in a clinic setting. Using phenomenology theory as the epistemological framework, thematic analysis was conducted on ten in-depth interviews with nursing professionals working in the public sector. Three main groupings for the findings emerged from the interpretative analysis: 1) nursing professionals’ knowledge, understanding and awareness of autism spectrum disorder, 2) screening practices of nursing professionals; and 3) identified challenges in screening for autism spectrum disorder. Although the majority of the nursing professionals showed a good understanding of some aspects of the condition, there was some confusion about some key facts concerning the disorder, the characteristics of ASD and scientific terminology, and an inaccurate understanding of early intervention treatments. Nursing professionals’ screening efforts remain poor despite the diagnostic value of routine screening for early childhood developmental delays. Limited services and resources, a lack of communication between primary and secondary systems, time restrictions, work pressure and inadequate training are all barriers that prevent nursing professionals from conducting routine screening during child wellness visits, resulting in missed opportunities for detecting autism spectrum disorders in the early months or years. This research highlights the urgent need to look into strategies that would improve and support efforts for conducting early screening in primary health care clinics. Implications for future research in this area are also addressed.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationMatenge, B. (2014). <i>An exploration of nursing professionals’ understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12880en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationMatenge, Batetshi. <i>"An exploration of nursing professionals’ understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12880en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMatenge, B. 2014. An exploration of nursing professionals’ understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Matenge, Batetshi AB - The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder is increasing at an alarming rate. Research indicates that early identification and diagnosis is key in terms of children receiving early intervention. However, many children are not being identified as early as possible by their primary health care providers. This research investigated nursing professional’s experiences of working with autism spectrum disorder in a clinic setting. Using phenomenology theory as the epistemological framework, thematic analysis was conducted on ten in-depth interviews with nursing professionals working in the public sector. Three main groupings for the findings emerged from the interpretative analysis: 1) nursing professionals’ knowledge, understanding and awareness of autism spectrum disorder, 2) screening practices of nursing professionals; and 3) identified challenges in screening for autism spectrum disorder. Although the majority of the nursing professionals showed a good understanding of some aspects of the condition, there was some confusion about some key facts concerning the disorder, the characteristics of ASD and scientific terminology, and an inaccurate understanding of early intervention treatments. Nursing professionals’ screening efforts remain poor despite the diagnostic value of routine screening for early childhood developmental delays. Limited services and resources, a lack of communication between primary and secondary systems, time restrictions, work pressure and inadequate training are all barriers that prevent nursing professionals from conducting routine screening during child wellness visits, resulting in missed opportunities for detecting autism spectrum disorders in the early months or years. This research highlights the urgent need to look into strategies that would improve and support efforts for conducting early screening in primary health care clinics. Implications for future research in this area are also addressed. DA - 2014 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2014 T1 - An exploration of nursing professionals’ understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder TI - An exploration of nursing professionals’ understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12880 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/12880
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationMatenge B. An exploration of nursing professionals’ understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2014 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12880en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherPsychologyen_ZA
dc.titleAn exploration of nursing professionals’ understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorderen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMSocScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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