Stability of symptoms of autism spectrum disorders in toddlers: an examination using the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits-Part 1 (BISCUIT)

Abstract

Objective: The diagnostic stability of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) at very young ages continues to be debated, despite empirical evidence that ASDs can be reliably diagnosed in children under the age of 3 years. This topic is of the upmost importance given that early intervention increases long-term outcomes in this population.

Methods: The goal of the current study was to examine the stability of symptoms of ASD between two assessment times for 114 toddlers. The following was compared from the first to second assessment: diagnostic classification stability, correlations between scores and the impact of time between the first and second assessment.

Results: Significant correlations were found for toddlers as young as 18 months of age. In addition, even with up to a year between assessment intervals, symptoms of ASD were relatively stable prior to 3 years of age.

Conclusions: Implications of the current findings are discussed.