Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0487
ISSN: 2161-0487
Alison Dillon
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychol Psychother
Given the increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the importance of early intervention, it is imperative that primary care physicians (PCPs) have a thorough knowledge of ASD in order to offer families appropriate guidance and supports. This study comprised a systematic review of research assessing PCPs�?? knowledge of autism symptoms and evidence based interventions for persons with autism. Results indicated the majority of PCPs had inadequate knowledge of ASD and its associated treatments. Collected data indicated that a variety of variables were associated with PCPs�?? knowledge including prior education, location, an interest in ASD, the focus of residency training, continuation of ASD education and rate of ASD cases encountered. Results are discussed with regards to their implications for further education in ASD research and training for PCPs.
Alison Dillon completed her Undergraduate degree in Law, a Post-graduate degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Applied Behavioral Analysis. She hopes to pursue a career as a Clinical Psychologist and currently works as an Assistant Psychologist at the Irish Health Service. She has published research paper on the use of smartphone applications for the reduction of anxiety in Frontiers in Psychology and has presented at the Psychological Society of Ireland’s Annual Conference. She recently conducted a systematic review of doctors’ knowledge of autism worldwide and presented this research at the Annual Autism Conference in Miami, Florida.
E-mail: dillonal@tcd.ie