Training and educational pathways for the assessment and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders: a scoping review

Abstract

Purpose. This review aimed to identify the training pathways available for both clinicians and trainers in the assessment and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study was guided by two research questions: 1) what is known from both published and unpublished literature about the educational, training, or other pathways available to support clinicians to meet the required expertise relevant to assessments of ASD concerns; and 2) what is known from both published and unpublished literature about the educational, training, or other pathways available to clinicians seeking to provide training in the assessment of ASD concerns? Methods. A scoping review was undertaken with searches completed across five databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycEXTRA, ERIC and CINAHL). A Google search strategy was also executed using the "advanced" search function. Eligible records were literature, written in English, that examined training and/ or education of clinicians to assess and/ or diagnose ASD in any capacity, including any gender and age, set in any environment and conducted in any country. Data were extracted by the primary author with consultation with the research team, as required. The final protocol was registered prospectively with the Open Science Framework on 26 July, 2022 (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/24XTS). Results. Fourteen relevant records were identified. A lack of evidence to support ASD diagnostic training pathways was found and may pose a challenge for clinicians and service users. Conclusion. The development of global standards for ASD training and diagnosis is warranted. Further investigation is required to establish best practice. Keywords. autism spectrum disorder, healthcare professional training, adult education, assessment and diagnosis, train the trainer