Filling out a checklist may lead to early autism treatment, study finds

By Staff Writer

A simple questionnaire may be able to help pediatricians detect autism in young children, a new study reveals.

According to CNN, researchers from the University of California-San Diego concluded that a 24-item questionnaire may give doctors a significant head start on treating the developmental disorder. Although the average age of an autism diagnosis is 5 years old, this study suggests that children can now be helped as early as age 1.

The questionnaire, which would be administered to parents, would assess a child's ability to communicate, according to the media outlet. By identifying language and developmental deficiencies during infancy, clinicians may be able to treat autistic children at a much earlier age.

Researchers told the news source that the questionnaire is a simple checklist that can be completed in just five minutes.

Approximately one in 110 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with autism, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts hope that earlier detection can help patients overcome academic and social obstacles during adolescence.

These children may benefit from the activities offered by summer camps.