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Early Diagnostic Assessment

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Early Intervention for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Part of the book series: Evidence-Based Practices in Behavioral Health ((EBPBH))

Abstract

Access to early intervention services often depends on early in life diagnosis. The average age a child receives an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis varies widely internationally and nationally. A number of obstacles often dissuade or preclude an accurate ASD diagnosis and current research-based approaches capable of diagnosing ASD very early in life (i.e., less than 18 months old) are rarely available. We first present the diagnostic characteristics of ASD per the DSM-5, briefly discusses the factors hypothesized to be contributing to the rising ASD prevalence and obstacles to obtaining an accurate ASD diagnosis (e.g., access to services, pediatricians without necessary experience, and so on). We then describe the most common ASD diagnostic procedures and present the pros and cons, as well as the available psychometric data that enables comparison across approaches. Recent research investigating novel approaches that facilitate earlier in life diagnosis is then reviewed. The chapter concludes with suggestions for future research and guidance for practitioners.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, One Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Sarah Kuriakose & Rebecca Shalev

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  1. Sarah Kuriakose
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Correspondence to Sarah Kuriakose .

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  1. Texas State University Clinic for Autism, San Marcos, Texas, USA

    Russell Lang

  2. Texas State University Clinic for Autism, San Marcos, Texas, USA

    Terry B. Hancock

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Health Beha, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta Univ, Augusta, Georgia, USA

    Nirbhay N. Singh

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Kuriakose, S., Shalev, R. (2016). Early Diagnostic Assessment. In: Lang, R., Hancock, T., Singh, N. (eds) Early Intervention for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Evidence-Based Practices in Behavioral Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30925-5_2

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