Examination of the effectiveness of a screening test on the cooperation of autistic children and autism in the dental clinic

Abstract

The aim of this study was to confirm the effectiveness of a screening test on the cooperation of Autistic children in the dental clinic which was proposed by a former report. The subjects were composed of 55 autistic children making their first visit and other patients. The following results was obtained from this study. 1. The effectiveness of the screening test for the cooperation in a dental clinic was indicated from a high consistent rate (87.0%) in relation between the score which was estimated by a screening test and a explicit behaviour under dental treatment. 2. It has been shown that the patient with a score of four was as noncooperative in dental clinical procedures. 3. It was suggested that the applicable of the screening test for cooperation is from 4 years of age to 12 years of age. 4. The effectiveness of the screening test with regard to cooperation was supported by the relationship between the score estimated by a screening test and explicit behaviour under situations in regard to dental clinical procedures.