Professor St. John’s University Jamaica, NY, United States
Abstract Text: TheestimatedpopulationofVietnamisover 100 million(Data Commons, 2023).The prevalence of autisminVietnamforchildrenaged 18 to 30 monthsis 0.758% or 1 in 32 children(Thi Vui et al., 2022). However, the 2010 LawonPeoplewithDisabilitieshasnotyetconfirmed the legalstatusofpeoplewithautismin Vietnam(Nga & Khuyen, 2022).Thismeansthatindividualswithautismstillencounterchallengesaccessingthe appropriateeducationandservices(Nga & Khuyen, 2022).Although there are services available, there is a lack of adapted, validated, and standardized tools for assessment and diagnosis, as well as evidence-based interventions for children with autism in Vietnam (Van Tran et al., 2015).Over-diagnosis, lack of well-trained professionals, and lack of governmental policy are major concerns of Vietnamese parents and professionals(Ha et al., 2017; Van Tran et al., 2015). The purpose of the current study is to provide a review of adapted and validated autism diagnostic tools, and evidence-based interventions for children with autism in Vietnam. Understanding the breadth of measures and interventions can provide clinical guidance and offer directions for needed research and training. Following a thorough search, only a few studies (n=8) on this topic were identified, indicating a lack of evidence-based services for this population. Findings show that two measures of autism symptomology, the Autism Spectrum Rating Scales (ASRS)(Terjesen et al., 2025, submitted for publication) and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) (Nguyen et al., 2019), have recently been adaptedand validatedamong youth in Vietnam. In terms of intervention, the current study identifies a handful of articles (n=6)that are quite broad in terms of clinical focus and generalizability. The areas researched include parent training(Inoue et al., 2024), family management intervention (Anh, 2020; Mai & Chaimongkol, 2022), professional training(Van Cong et al., n.d.), and intervention programs for young children with autism across different cities in Vietnam(Nguyễn Minh et al., 2024; Trần Thiện et al., 2024).The effectiveness of each of these areas is quite variable as reflected by the effect sizes and the small sample size. This limits conclusions that can be drawn as to the current evidence-based status of intervening for youth with autism. Results from the current study suggest that despite the relative increase in peer-reviewed studies, research on the adaptation of diagnostic assessment and the effectiveness of intervention programs for children with autism in Vietnam is limited.Future directions and implications will be discussed.
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