Advances in the early detection of autism.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Early detection and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) allows opportunities for children and their families to benefit more fully from early supports and interventions.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent advances in early detection research have resulted from prospective studies of high-risk infants and large ASD screening studies conducted in community settings. With improvement in early detection of autism, exciting progress has been made in establishing the efficacy of ASD-specific interventions for toddlers as young as 18 months on the basis of controlled clinical trials.

SUMMARY

There has been increasing emphasis on opportunities to link early behavioral expression to the underlying neurobiology of ASD, potentially bringing us closer to the fundamental mechanisms underlying this disorder.