New questionnaire can find autism in one-year-old children

By Staff Writer

Researchers at the University of California have developed the earliest test yet for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

Pediatricians may now be able to detect signs of autism in children as young as one year by administering a simple five-minute checklist.

In a trial of the system, 137 pediatricians across San Diego County, California used the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant-Toddler Checklist, a brief questionnaire that asks caregivers about a child's use of communication methods such as eye gaze, sounds, words, gestures and objects.

The method detected 32 autistic children out of 10,479 infants screened, a rate that is consistent with rates in the general population, according to the study published in the Journal of Pediatrics. When researchers compared that result to a list of subjects with known developmental delays, they found the test had worked 75 percent of the time.

By identifying autism at an early age, parents and caregivers can begin treatment sooner, which greatly improves children's later development and learning abilities.

Children with ASD often struggle with their academic work, and can benefit from therapeutic residential schools. Yet the average American autistic child does not receive a diagnosis until 5.7 years of age, the study said.