The National Institute of Health reports that a 5-minute checklist may someday help in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in babies as young as 1 year old. The 24-item checklist takes 5 minutes to complete and can be filled out in a pediatrician's waiting room when parents bring their children for their 12 month "well-baby" checkup. In the study 10,479 infants were screened and 32 were identified as having ASD, which is consistent with expected rates of incidence of the disease. Identifying autism at an early age allows children to start treatment sooner, which can greatly improve their later development and learning. However, many studies show a significant delay between the time parents first report concerns about their child's behavior and the eventual ASD diagnosis, with some children not receiving a diagnosis until well after they've started school. Following the screen, all toddlers diagnosed with ASD or developmental delay and 89 percent of those with language delay were referred for behavioral therapy. On average, these children were referred for treatment around age 17 months. For comparison, a 2009 study using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that, on average, children currently receive an ASD diagnosis around 5.7 years (68.4 months) of age, with treatment beginning sometime later.

A recent study estimated that 3.4 of every 1,000 children 3 to 4 years old had autism. Children with autism spectrum disorders show deficits in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and repetitive behaviors and interests. Each of these symptoms can range from mild to severe. Children with ASD do not follow the typical patterns of child development. In some children, hints of future problems may be apparent from birth. In most cases, the problems in communication and social skills become more noticeable as the child lags further behind other children the same age. The earlier the disorder is diagnosed, the sooner the child can be helped through treatment interventions.

Some of the signs of autism to watch for include:

• No big smiles or other joyful expressions by 6 months.
• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by 9 months.
• No babbling by 12 months.
• No words by 16 months.
• No two-word meaningful phrases by 24 months.
• Any loss of speech or social skills at any age.

Although the screening tool is not widely available yet, it is hoped that with appropriate training and support from experts in autism, pediatricians may be able to use the questionnaire in their offices.

References: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2011/5-minute-screen-identifies-subtle-signs-of-autism-in-1-year-olds.shtml, http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/autism/what-are-the-autism-spectrum-disorders.shtml.

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