New quick test could help diagnosis autism from as young as 18 months

The new test could diagnose autism much earlier than others.

As it stands, children aren’t usually diagnosed with autism until they are around five years old as typical symptoms don’t usually appear until then. However, there could be a simple way to help diagnose children from as young as 18 months. Doctors in Rutgers University have developed a questionnaire that could potentially diagnose autism in 88 percent of cases. Nearly 2,000 children between the ages of 18 and 36 months took part in the study which rated them based on their risk level of developing autism. The test involved monitoring whether children pointed or gestured to show interest in something and how well they responded to their name. The children who were considered to be at risk were then sent to be evaluated to see whether or not they were on the autistic spectrum.

“The availability of [this test] may enhance our ability to detect ASD in young children and expand the number of youngsters receiving early intervention,” said lead author on the study, Professor Walter Zahorodny.