New Report Urges Continued Universal Autism Screening

SAN DIEGO, Calif., Oct. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new report from a multidisciplinary panel of clinical practitioners and researchers on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) underscores the importance of universal early childhood autism screening at well-child visits despite a controversial draft proposal issued by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force last summer that recommends skipping it for most children. 

Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Recommendations for Practice and Research appears in this month's online supplement to Pediatrics, describing the work of a team of expert panelists who completed a systematic review of the medical literature and developed consensus statements focused on three areas: the early identification of ASD, early screening, and early interventions and outcomes. The findings lend credence to objections raised last summer in response to the task force recommendation. 

Co-lead author Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, M.D., of the Autism Research Centre at Edmonton's Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, said: "Recent studies of at-risk infants – younger siblings of children with ASD – emphasize that many behavioral features of ASD are apparent as the child approaches their first birthday. However there is considerable diversity in expression, and early detection efforts need to be an ongoing process – rather than being limited to a single age point – if children across the spectrum are to be detected."

According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2015, ASD affects approximately 1 in 68 children in the U.S. The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers – a scientifically validated tool for detecting ASD in children ages 16- to 30-months endorsed by the AAP – is believed to be the most commonly used screening tool; other tools described in the report show promise for detecting symptoms as early as the first year. 

"Although all screening tools for autism have some limitations, the evidence nevertheless supports the usefulness of screening, notwithstanding the need for further research. Early identification can have multiple benefits for the child and for the family," said Marvin Natowicz, M.D., Ph.D. – a clinical geneticist and pathologist at the Cleveland Clinic who participated in the panel.

Zwaigenbaum adds, "With the availability of screening tools that accurately identify toddlers at highest risk of ASD, and accumulating evidence that interventions targeted to this age range lead to better outcomes, we would argue that children with ASD stand to benefit from incorporation of screening into standard practice."

The full article is available for free at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/136/Supplement_1.toc

SOURCE Autism Research Institute

Related Links

http://www.autism.com