Autism and Developmental Language Impairments in Pakistan Exploring Challenges Service Gaps and Implications for Early Intervention

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ aim of this study was to discover the relations of autism and developmental language impairments in Pakistan; the study initially focused on the clinical profiles, diagnostic pathways, service gaps, and implications for early intervention. From caregivers of children with autism and language difficulties, and professionals from the health and education sectors, quantitative data were obtained. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subsample to supplement these data. According to caregivers, language and communication were the first and most continuous issues, however, a formal diagnosis was often delayed until the age when the child started going to school, particularly in families with low income and those living in semi-urban areas. Speech–language and early intervention services were available only in a few major cities and usually they were of low intensity and most of the time financed by the users themselves. The higher the perceived barriers were, the lower the satisfaction with the service and the higher the caregiver strain. Professionals noted that there was a lack of trained speech–language pathologists, few resources in Urdu, and the care pathways were disintegrated. The results indicate the urgency of early intervention models that are decentralised, family-centred, and linguistically appropriate in ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌Pakistan.