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Autism in young children: an update
Insights
Early identification of autism in toddlers is crucial. Recognizing social, perceptual, and language delays can lead to timely diagnosis and intervention, improving outcomes for autistic children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Pediatric medicine
- Neurobiology
Background:
- Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder with early onset.
- Pediatric primary care providers can identify key infant and toddler characteristics suggestive of autism.
- Timely referral for diagnosis is possible if developmental delays are significant.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe autism and its management.
- To provide guidelines for recognizing young children who may have autism.
- To emphasize the benefits of early diagnosis and intervention.
Main Methods:
- Review of research on infant/toddler characteristics associated with autism.
- Guidelines for pediatric primary care providers on recognizing developmental delays.
- Description of autism's impact on social, perceptual, and language development.
Main Results:
- Specific infant/toddler characteristics can indicate autism.
- Early diagnosis allows for crucial interventions.
- Intervention helps children manage sensory stimuli and communication needs.
Conclusions:
- Pediatricians should be aware of early signs of autism.
- Early recognition and referral are vital for intervention.
- Comprehensive neurobiologic evaluations are recommended for at-risk children.
Abstract:
Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder with onset in infancy or childhood. Research has identified infant/toddler characteristics that should suggest autism to pediatric primary care providers. Many autistic children can be referred for diagnosis as young toddlers if social, perceptual, and language delays are considered significant. Early diagnosis of children with autism allows intervention, which helps the child modulate disturbing sensory stimuli and seeks to meet his/her unique social and communication needs. This article describes the disorder and its management and offers guidelines for recognizing young children who would benefit from further comprehensive neurobiologic evaluations by developmental specialists.