In a five-year study of more than 13,500 children, researchers at La Trobe University in Australia tested an early screening tool they had developed for autism.
They found that 83% of children between the ages of 12 and 24 who “marked the tool” were later diagnosed with autism.
That’s about four years ahead of current standard tests, the researchers say. And the earlier the diagnosis is made, they say, the better the life outcomes for people with autism can be.
“Children diagnosed early showed better verbal and cognitive ability at school age, were more likely to attend general school and needed less ongoing support than children diagnosed later,” lead researcher Josephine Barbaro wrote in an email to DW.
Autism is not a disease or medical condition that can or should be treated. It is part of a person and his whole life. However, people with autism may have difficulty communicating and interacting with people or responding to sensory stimuli such as bright lights or loud noises without being overwhelmed.
The SACS tool
Current tests, such as the M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Infant Autism), tend to diagnose autism between the ages of 4 and 6.
The new tool, known as SACS (Social Attention and Communication Surveillance), has two components: SACS-Revised and SACS-Preschool.
When M-CHAT was used with the new tool in preschool children, 96% of children on the autism spectrum were identified by a 3.5-year-old health test.
Barbaro wrote that a meta-analysis of 13 studies found that M-CHAT had “a cumulative positive predictive value (or accuracy) of 6%” when used in so-called ‘low-risk’ Community regulations – less than 83% of SACS-R accuracy.
The SACS tool has been translated into eight languages and is used in 11 countries: Bangladesh, China, Italy, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain and England.
Diagnosis is difficult
Barbaro, who is based at La Trobe’s Olga Tennison Autism Research Center, wants to see the tool used even more widely.
“Putting this highly effective tool in the hands of a trained primary care professional so that they can also get tested for autism during routine checkups makes a huge difference in early diagnosis,” Barbaro said.
Another Australian study has shown that treatment to support social development in babies who show early signs of autism can help significantly.
Later in life, diagnosing autism can be “difficult,” writes the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “because there is no medical test like a blood test.” Doctors examine a child’s developmental history and behavior to make a diagnosis.
The new study is published by the JAMA Open Network.
Edited by: Clare Roth
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