Early detection of autism in children has improved

Early detection of autism in children has improved

 

New reports from the CDC say early detection of autism in children has improved, but disparities remain in practices to identify and diagnose the condition.   According to the agency, children born in 2014 were 50% more likely to receive an autism diagnosis or special education by age 4 than those born in 2010. Early detection could help improve access to intervention measures and might help improve developmental outcomes, according to the researchers.   "The substantial progress in early identification is good news because the earlier that children are identified with autism, the sooner they can be connected to services and support," said Dr. Karen Remley, director of the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.   CDC researchers analyzed data from 2018 for two cohorts of children: those born in 2010 who turned 8 in 2018, and those born in 2014 who turned 4 in 2018. The data was compiled from communities in 11 states that participate in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network.   Generally, children who have intellectual disabilities are more likely to be diagnosed with autism earlier. According to the researchers, this finding suggests a need to better detect and evaluate developmental concerns beyond cognitive ability. A child was considered to have an intellectual disability if their IQ was 70 or lower, or if explicitly noted during an exam.   This is especially true for Black children. Even by age 8, more than half of Black children diagnosed with autism also had an intellectual disability, compared to 35% of 8-year-olds with autism overall. Low IQ scores were also more common among Hispanic children diagnosed with autism than White children.   In 2018, more communities saw higher prevalence rates among Black and Hispanic children than White children than in previous years. Communities with lower median household income also saw higher cumulative incidence rates of autism spectrum disorder diagnoses by age 4.   "These findings could indicate improvements in ASD (autism spectrum disorder) identification among historically underserved populations," the researchers wrote.