Montenegro does not have an official register of people with autism, although it has been announced for a long time, and at the Center for Autism, 430 children have been diagnosed so far. Long waiting lists for dental services, the lack of short-term inhalation anesthesia, as well as the long wait for its introduction, are just some of the problems faced by parents and children with autism in Montenegro.
Research "Health for all! Availability of dental services for children with autism in Montenegro" of the Union of Doctors of Medicine was presented yesterday, and the results showed that parents are not satisfied with the way the health system treats children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) from October last year, one in 100 children in the world lives with autism. ASD is defined as a neurological and developmental disorder characterized by persistent difficulties in social interaction and communication.
President of the Union of Doctors of Medicine of Montenegro Milena Popović Samardžić she said that "among people with autism, there is a high percentage (about 30 percent) of those who also have intellectual disabilities."
"There is a growing trend of children diagnosed with autism. And that's something that varies. The Center for Autism, Developmental Disabilities and Child Psychiatry 'Ognjen Rakočević' currently has 430 children with this diagnosis," said Popović Samardžić.
She pointed out that the health care of people with ASD is the focus of the European Parliament, but also of many national and international regulations. That, warned Popović Samardžić, does not mean that parents and guardians of people with autism in Montenegro do not report numerous difficulties.
During the presentation of the research results, in which 50 parents of children with autism participated, it was noted that there are long waiting lists for dental services.
"When asked what the waiting time is for dental services performed under general total anesthesia, as many as 30 percent of respondents answered six months or longer, while 34 percent answered that they waited between two and four months. The rest of the respondents answered that the wait was long or that, until now, they had not needed to put the child under general anesthesia for receiving dental services," the research says.
According to the document, 44 percent of them believe that children with developmental disabilities do not have a priority in achieving health care.
"When asked to explain why they think that children with developmental disabilities do not have priority when it comes to receiving health services, they mostly point to long waiting lists (six months or longer) when it comes to dental services, as well as the lack of protocols for medical staff to act on when they are in this vulnerable population is concerned. They state that no distinction is made between children with developmental disabilities and other children...", the document states.
The survey showed that parents (74 percent) believe that dental services are not equally accessible to children with developmental disabilities as well as neurotypical children.
"Several parents pointed out that they cannot even rely on a private practice where there are no conditions for providing health services to children with developmental difficulties... Most parents expressed the hope that dental services for their children will be provided in other cities, and not only in Podgorica," said Popović Samardžić.
Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro (UCG) Marija Antunović she said that "preventive measures in the dental health care of our population are represented by only four percent".
"Therefore, they are carried out on an unacceptably small scale. Prevention of dental caries is a simple, safe, painless, cheap and effective measure of preserving oral health. That is why this segment of dental care must be given priority, especially in dental work with 430 children with ASD in Montenegro", said Antunović.
At the presentation of the results, it was said that it would be desirable to open an Oral Hygiene Counseling Center at the National Center for Early Development.
"...With a dental clinic for the implementation of preventive measures and the preparation of patients with autism for cooperation with the dentist. The goal is for children and their parents to develop habits of regular visits to the dentist, awareness of the importance of preserving oral health and ways to properly maintain oral hygiene (brushing teeth) in an environment that is familiar to children and where they can feel comfortable," said Antunović and Popović. Samardzic.
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