I keep hearing and seeing more and more about autism screenings.
Are they really necessary?
Autism and the autism spectrum disorders (ASD) — also known as pervasive developmental disorders — are a group of developmental disorders with dysfunction in the areas of socialization and use of language and with associated repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. The prevalence has risen in the United States to present estimates of approximately one in 150.
“While the diagnosis used to occur by age 2 or 3 for autism, research has shown that developmental problems in these children are evident by 12 to 18 months,” says Max Wiznitzer, MD, pediatric neurologist at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. “The use of early and intensive intervention for these children is felt to improve their potential developmental outcome, including improvements in language ability and intelligence.”
These findings have fueled the drive toward early recognition of ASD. Based on these findings, a committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics has recently recommended that all children be screened for ASD at ages 18 and 24 months.
This screening not only can identify children at risk for ASD, but also those with other possible developmental problems affecting language and intelligence. A screening does not provide a definite diagnosis. It identifies a group of children who require further assessment to confirm the presence of a developmental disorder or who have a variation of normal development and don’t require further testing. This more detailed evaluation should be performed by those with expertise in ASD, which can include child neurologists, developmental/behavioral pediatricians, child psychiatrists and child psychologists.
“Early identification of a developmental disorder such as ASD leads to earlier referral to programs such as Help Me Grow, the state of Ohio early intervention program, and specialized school and individualized therapy programs,” adds Dr. Wiznitzer. “This can result in improved developmental outcome.”