Screening for Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Japanese 18- and 36-Month Health Check-Ups: Utility and Reproducibility of the ESSENCE-Q - Takeaways - MDSpire

Evaluation of the ESSENCE-Q for Identifying Neurodevelopmental Disorders During 18- and 36-Month Health Assessments in Japan: Effectiveness and Consistency

  • By

  • Yuhei Hatakenaka

  • Koutaro Hachiya

  • Christopher Gillberg

  • July 12, 2026

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  • 1

    Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) affect approximately 10% of the population and include ASD, ADHD, LD, and IDD.

  • 2

    The ESSENCE-Q is designed to assess various developmental domains, aiding in the identification of NDDs during health check-ups.

  • 3

    In Japan, health check-ups at 18 and 36 months serve as key screening points for early identification of developmental concerns.

  • 4

    The study evaluates the feasibility of using the ESSENCE-Q in routine health check-ups and examines inter-informant reproducibility.

  • 5

    The clinical value of early screening depends on the professionals' ability to distinguish typical development from clinical concerns.

Original Source(s)

Screening for Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Japanese 18- and 36-Month Health Check-Ups: Utility and Reproducibility of the ESSENCE-Q

  • by Yuhei Hatakenaka, Koutaro Hachiya, Christopher Gillberg

  • July 12, 2026

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