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SIGN Guideline 98: Assessment, diagnosis and clinical interventions for children and young people with autism spectrum disorders
Guideline Index Page | SIGN Methodology
SIGN is a collaborative network of clinicians, other healthcare professionals and patient organisations and is part of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. SIGN guidelines are developed by multidisciplinary groups of practising clinicians using a standard methodology based on a systematic review of the evidence. Further details about SIGN and the guideline development methodology are contained in “SIGN 50: A Guideline Developer’s Handbook”, available at www.sign.ac.uk
Dr Iain McClure*(Chair) - Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Murray Royal Hospital, Perth
Mrs Jennifer Beattie - Principal Teacher in Special Needs, Kenmay Academy, Aberdeenshire
Mrs Sheila Boyd - Occupational Therapist, Scottish Centre for Autism, Glasgow
Ms Margo Cattanach Community Charge Nurse - Learning Disabilities, Larbert
Dr Sally Cheseldine - Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Edinburgh
Mr Paul Dickinson Clinical Psychologist, NHS Highland, Inverness
Mrs Penny Ellingham Social Worker, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh Dr David Fitzpatrick - Clinical Paediatric Geneticist, MRC Human Genetics Unit, Edinburgh
Mrs Bette Francis - Vulnerable Adults Unit, Scottish Executive Health Department, Edinburgh
Dr Anne Gilchrist* - Consultant Adolescent Psychiatrist, Royal Cornhill Hospital, Aberdeen
Dr Rob Henderson - Specialist Registrar in Public Health Medicine, Highland NHS Board, Inverness
Mrs Alison Leask* - Project Manager, NHS Education for Scotland and Chair, Autism Argyll
Dr Tommy MacKay - Consultant Psychologist, Psychology Consultancy Services, Dunbartonshire
Ms Marjory Macleod - Senior Dietitian, Sighthill Health Centre, Edinburgh
Mrs Roslyn McCaughey Senior Speech and Language Therapist, Renton Primary (Secretary) School, Renton
Dr John March Research Scientist, Moredun Research Institute, Penicuik
Dr Craig Melville* - Senior Lecturer in Learning Disabilities Psychiatry, University of Glasgow, Gartnavel Royal Hospital
Mrs Rona Membury - Lay Representative, Inverness
Dr Elise Merry - Consultant Paediatrician, Armitstead Child Development Centre, Dundee
Professor Anne O’Hare* (Vice-chair) - Consultant Paediatrician, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh
Dr Safia Qureshi - SIGN Programme Director
Ms Marion Rutherford - Speech and Language Therapist, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh
Ms Chris Simmonds - Health Visitor, Aberdeen
Dr Georgina Soulby - Consultant Community Paediatrician - Children Services, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness
Ms Janis Toy - Residential Services Manager, Daldorch House School, East Ayrshire
Ms Diane Waugh - Lay Representative, Sense Scotland, Glasgow
Ms Joanna Welsh - SIGN Information Officer
*member of the writing group
The guideline development group is grateful to the following former members of the guideline development group and members of SIGN staff who have also contributed to the development of this guideline.
Dr Jaqueline Atkinson - Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Public Policy, University of Glasgow
Mr Robin Harbour - SIGN Quality and Information Director
Dr Roberta James SIGN Programme Manager
Dr Ken Lawton - General Practitioner, Great Western Road Medical Group, Aberdeen
Ms Jean MacLellan - Branch Head, Community Care Division Branch 4, Scottish Executive Health Department, Edinburgh
Dr Julie Pennycook - General Practitioner, Merrylee Medical Centre, Glasgow
The membership of the guideline development group was confirmed following consultation with the member organisations of SIGN. All members of the guideline development group made declarations of interest and further details of these are available on request from the SIGN Executive. Guideline development and literature review expertise, support and facilitation were provided by the SIGN Executive.
The evidence base for this guideline was synthesised in accordance with SIGN methodology. A systematic review of the literature was carried out using a search strategy devised by a SIGN Information Officer. Databases searched include Medline, Embase, Cinahl, PsychINFO, and the Cochrane Library. For most searches, the year range covered was 1996-2006. Internet searches were carried out on various websites including the New Zealand Guidelines Programme, NeLH Guidelines Finder, and the US National Guidelines Clearinghouse. The Medline version of the main search strategies can be found on the SIGN website, in the section covering supplementary guideline material. The main searches were supplemented by material identified by individual members of the development group.
A national open meeting is the main consultative phase of SIGN guideline development, at which the guideline development group presents its draft recommendations for the first time. The national open meeting for this guideline was held on 3 October 2005 and was attended by representatives of all the key specialties relevant to the guideline. The draft guideline was also available on the SIGN website for a limited period at this stage to allow those unable to attend the meeting to contribute to the development of the guideline.
This guideline was sent in draft form to the following independent expert referees, who were asked to comment primarily on the comprehensiveness and accuracy of interpretation of the evidence base supporting the recommendations in the guideline. SIGN is very grateful to all of these experts for their contribution to the guideline.
Professor Gillian Baird - Professor of Developmental Paediatrics, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital NHS Trust, London
Ms Sue Barnard - Consultation and Involvement Officer for Children with Disabilities and their Families, Aberdeen
Dr Alan Begg General Practitioner, Angus
Dr Isabel Claire - - Clinical Psychologist, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University
Ms Joanna Daly - Policy and Parlimentary Officer – Scotland, National Autistic Society
Ms Amanda Di Candia - Lay Reviewer, Aberdeen
Professor Aline-Wendy Dunlop - Professor of Childhood and Primary Studies, Lead Director, National Centre of Autism Studies, University of Strathclyde
Dr Allison Ferguson - Consultant Paediatrician and Lead Consultant for Yorkhill Community Autism Teams, Glasgow
Mr John Forrester - Training and Assessment Consultant, Jigsaw Centre, Aberdeen
Professor David Goldberg - Consultant Epidemiologist, Health Protection Scotland, Glasgow -
Professor Rita Jordan - Professor in Autism Studies, The University of Birmingham
Dr Deb Keen - Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, The University of Queensland, Australia
Professor Ann Le Couteur - Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne
Professor Catherine Lord - Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Michigan Autism and Communicative Disorders Clinic, USA
Mr John McDonald - Chief Executive, The Scottish Society for Autism, Alloa
Ms Fiona McGillivary - Social Worker, Errol
Mr Andy Moir - Occupational Therapist, Borders Autism Team, Selkirk
Mr Andrew Power - Head of Prescribing Team, North Glasgow NHS Trust
Ms Trish Reynolds - Chair, Wick Caithness Autism Parent Support Group
Mr David Rex - Child Health Dietitian, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness
Professor Sir Michael Rutter - Professor of Developmental Psychopathology, Institute of Psychiatry, London
Ms Val Sellars - Speech and Language Therapist, Scottish Centre for Autism, Glasgow
Professor David Skuse - Professor of Psychiatry, Institute of Child Health, London
Dr Vicky Slonims - Prinicpal Speech and Language Therapist, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital NHS Trust, London
Mrs Laura Stewart - Paediatric Dietitian, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh
Dr Lorna Wing - Consultant Psychiatrist, The Centre for Social and Communication Disorders, Kent
As a final quality control check, the guideline was reviewed by an editorial group comprising members of SIGN Council to ensure that the specialist reviewers’ comments were addressed adequately and that any risk of bias in the guideline development process as a whole has been minimised. The editorial group for this guideline was as follows:
Dr Keith Brown - Member of SIGN Council
Mr Robert Carachi - Member of SIGN Council
Professor Gordon Lowe - Chair of SIGN; Co-Editor
Ms Anne Mathew - Member of SIGN Council
Dr Moray Nairn - Programme Manager, SIGN
Dr Sara Twaddle - Director of SIGN; Co-Editor
Guideline Index Page | SIGN Methodology
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Last modified
10/05/10
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