Child Health Surveillance Strategies For Early Detection Of Developmental And Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

Background: Developmental and behavioral disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), speech delays, and learning disabilities have significant consequences for children’s cognitive, emotional, social, and academic development. Delays in diagnosis often limit access to timely intervention and support services. Objective: To develop and evaluate a comprehensive child health surveillance framework for early identification of developmental and behavioral disorders using systematic screening, risk assessment and multidisciplinary referral pathways. Methodology: It used a mixed-methods research design, collecting data from 5,000 children 0-12 years of age across pediatric clinics and community health centres over a 24-month period. The proposed framework combined developmental screening instruments, behavioral assessments, electronic health records, parental reports, and risk stratification models. Performance was assessed based on sensitivity, specificity, referral accuracy and early detection rates. Findings: The proposed surveillance framework achieved a sensitivity of 89%, specificity of 91%, referral accuracy of 88%, and an early detection rate of 90% which out-performed conventional surveillance approaches. There were 2,362 cases of developmental and behavioral disorders, including ASD, ADHD, speech delays, learning disabilities, and behavioral disorders. The framework also reduced delayed diagnoses and improved the efficiency of specialist referrals.  Conclusion: Integrated child health surveillance strategies have a positive effect on the early detection of developmental and behavioral disorders. These findings support the need for the implementation of multidisciplinary technology-enabled surveillance systems to facilitate timely intervention, improve developmental outcomes, and strengthen pediatric public health services.