Early identification and intervention in autism spectrum disorders: Some progress but not as much as we hoped

Abstract

Camarata's (2014) review summarizes the progress that has been made in the field of early identification and early intervention in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) over the past few decades, but also provides a salutary reminder that much still needs to be done. Whilst it is possible to prospectively identify cases of ASD using screening instruments; it is critical that those using such screens in clinical practice understand how to interpret data from published studies and consider how screening information is communicated to parents. After several decades when few randomized controlled trials of early intervention in ASD were conducted, the last decade has seen an explosion of new studies. Despite initial optimism, as more trials are published they have highlighted the limits of, and challenges to, early intervention in ASD. Given the complex nature of ASD these sobering lessons are perhaps not surprising. Rather than promote despondency, they need to inspire and inform the next decade of clinical research to move the field forward to the benefit of young children with ASD and those who care for them.

Keywords::

• Autism spectrum disorder
• early identification
• early intervention
• screening
• treatment
• randomized controlled trials

Acknowledgements

The author is supported by the COST Action BM1004 (http://www.cost-essea.com/).

Declaration of interest: The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the paper.