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. 2021 Mar;51(3):973-993.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-020-04618-w.

The Emergence of Autism Symptoms Prior to 18 Months of Age: A Systematic Literature Review

Amy Tanner  1   2 , Katerina Dounavi  3   4
Affiliations

The Emergence of Autism Symptoms Prior to 18 Months of Age: A Systematic Literature Review

Amy Tanner et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Pre-diagnostic intervention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) allows symptoms to be addressed as they emerge, often between six to 18 months, rather than after the full onset of the disorder. A systematic literature review, spanning the previous six years was conducted in order to provide an updated review looking at the earliest behavior symptoms of ASD. All included studies used a prospective experimental design, reported on symptoms that emerged before 18-months of age, exclusively in children who would later receive a diagnosis, and were assessed for quality. This review is the first to address this research question through the use of a systematic research design and extends the literature by following up on recommendations for future research from previous findings.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorders; Early behavioral symptoms; Early screening; Systematic literature review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author A and Author B declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose regarding the present study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow-chart illustrating inclusion process
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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