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136. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014–3667b

The Role of Preschool Teachers in Early Intervention for Children
with Autism
This paper explores the role of preschool teachers in the context of early inter-
vention for children with autism. Early intervention encompasses timely de-
tection using appropriate screening tools and the provision of an inclusive en-
vironment, where high-quality interdisciplinary collaboration and adequate
professional competence play a crucial role. We investigated how preschool
teachers evaluate the usefulness of three screening tools, how well they detect
early warning signs of autism, and how they adapt activities for children show-
ing early warning signs of autism, as well as their experiences in collaborating
with other professionals and early intervention centres. Through interviews
with ten preschool teachers, we found that they can quickly recognise warn-
ing signs in children’s functioning and are fairly familiar with the early signs
of autism. However, they also require expanded knowledge and support for
comprehensive implementation of strategies aimed at improving social and
communication skills. All three screening tools were assessed as useful and
appropriate for use in kindergartens. Collaboration with other professionals
was evaluated positively, although teachers expressed the need for additional
knowledge to participate more competently in early intervention teams.
Keywords: preschool, autism, educators, early signs of autism, early interven-
tion

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