Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) may experience a 13-month
delay before they are diagnosed. A study in the April autism supplement
of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics released today,
found that children diagnosed in metropolitan Atlanta were initially evaluated
at an average of 4 years of age but were not diagnosed with an ASD until
an average of 5 years 1 month. The study also found much variability in
both, with an age range of 1 year 4 months to 8 years 6 months old for initial
evaluation, and an age range of 1 year 5 months to 8 years 8 months old
for actual diagnosis.
The study data, collected from the Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities
Surveillance Program 2000 (MADDSP), did not explore reasons for the 13-month
delay. However, the study found that most children were first diagnosed
with other conditions, such as language delay or general developmental delay.
"Although this study draws upon data from the metro Atlanta area,
it serves as an important indicator of the nationwide challenges of diagnosing
autism, particularly more mild cases," said Dr. José Cordero,
director of CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. "The
real public health challenge is to educate doctors on the signs of autism
and to encourage use of standardized diagnostic instruments that better
identify symptoms relevant to ASD and help distinguish ASD from other developmental
delays or disorders."
According to the study, a 13-month delay in ASD diagnosis existed for both
boys and girls and across racial/ethnic classification. While children with
more severe symptoms of autism were evaluated and diagnosed almost two years
earlier than children with milder symptoms, they were not evaluated until
an average of 3½ years old and were not diagnosed with an ASD until
an average of 4½ years old. Previous research indicates that parents
of children with an ASD report began to have concerns about their child's
development between 1 and 2 years of age.
Seventy-six percent of the children diagnosed with an ASD were identified
at medical facilities such as hospitals and clinics, and 24 percent were
identified at schools. The study's researchers found that 70 percent of
healthcare professionals did not use a standardized diagnostic instrument
when assigning the first ASD diagnosis.
ASDs are lifelong neuro-developmental disorders characterized by early
onset of social, communication, and behavioral problems, which are present
before 3 years of age. Early identification of ASDs leads to earlier entry
into intervention programs that can help improve developmental outcomes.
It is important for parents and healthcare professionals to recognize early
symptoms of ASDs. It is also important that children with identified delays
be administered routine developmental and autism-specific screenings. CDC
designed the "Learn the Signs, Act Early" campaign to educate
parents and professionals on the early signs of autism and other developmental
disorders. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/actearly.
To obtain a full copy of the article, visit the Journal of Developmental
and Behavioral Pediatrics' Web site at www.jrnldbp.com.