At What Age Can Autism Be Reliably Diagnosed?

Stages of Autism Diagnosis and a Child’s Development

At times, children display some characteristics or developmental delays prior to the age of two, and screening can help determine if there is a need for an official diagnosis.

Typically, when autism is diagnosed earlier, it helps a child’s development. Being diagnosed by the age of two means the child can move forward with any recommendations to help improve the developmental delays.

According to the CDC, by age two, a diagnosis by an experienced professional can be considered reliable. However, many children do not receive a final diagnosis until much older. Some people are not diagnosed until they are adolescents or adults, thus delay means people with ASD may not get the early help they need.

Let’s look at the stages leading up to an autism diagnosis, specifically developmental monitoring, developmental screening, and developmental diagnosis.

Developmental Monitoring

Before a diagnosis or screening can be determined, you must observe if the child is meeting developmental milestones.

Developmental monitoring is an active process of watching and encouraging conversations between parents and providers about their child’s skills and abilities. Parents, grandparents, early childhood education providers, and other caregivers can participate in developmental monitoring.

Developmental Screening

Next, if family and educators notice some developmental delay, developmental screening takes a closer look. During the phases of life, well-child visits with the child’s pediatrician will also help identify any delay.

If the doctor notices some behaviors, they can recommend testing to determine a reason for delays. The idea is to consider the existence of autistic disorder or any other potential pervasive developmental disorder.

Developmental Diagnosis

The last part leading to an autism diagnosis is a developmental diagnosis. The development diagnosis does not necessarily provide an autism diagnosis, but it can indicate if there is a need for a diagnosis.

A formal evaluation is a more in depth look at the child’s development and uses resources such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) and other assessment tools. It may take up to a month to go through the steps to determine if a diagnosis is necessary.

Early Intervention Is Best for Children and Families

It is important to make sure services and supports are received as early as possible to ensure children can reach their full potential.

We never want to force a diagnosis, but careful observation of developmental milestones and early signs can determine if there is a need. The benefits of an early diagnosis can help the child receive all possible resources, which increase their chances of reaching their full potential.