Practice Guideline Endorsement

Practice Parameter: Screening and diagnosis of autism

Abstract: The American Academy of Pediatrics endorses and accepts as its policy the Practice Parameter: Screening and diagnosis of autism.

Article Abstract. Autism is a common disorder of childhood, affecting 1 in 500 children. Yet, it often remains unrecognized and undiagnosed until or after late preschool age because appropriate tools for routine developmental screening and screening specifically for autism have not been available. Early identification of children with autism and intensive, early intervention during the toddler and preschool years improves outcome for most young children with autism. This practice parameter reviews the available empirical evidence and gives specific recommendations for the identification of children with autism. This approach requires a dual process: 1) routine developmental surveillance and screening specifically for autism to be performed on all children to first identify those at risk for any type of atypical development, and to identify those specifically at risk for autism; and 2) to diagnose and evaluate autism, to differentiate autism from other developmental disorders. NEUROLOGY 2000;55:468-479.

The Guidelines were reaffirmed in October 2003.

The Guidelines are available as a PDF file from the American Academy of Neurology Web site free-of-charge at: http://www.aan.com/professionals/practice/pdfs/gl0063.pdf. (Adobe Acrobat PDF format)

The recommendations in this statement do not indicate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as a standard of medical care. Variations, taking into account individual circumstances, may be appropriate.

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