Diagnosing autism can be done early

doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7413.0-c

BMJ 2003;327 (30 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7413.0-c

Diagnosing autism can be done early

Early diagnosis of autism is possible and may improve long termoutcomes for the child and ease parents' discomfort. In a clinicalreview, Baird and colleagues (p 488) discuss the increasedattention placed on autism in the media and by the public,clarify its definitions and prevalence, and review how to identifythe range of disorders characteristic of autism. Features thatmay signal autism in different stages of childhood are outlined,as well as common comorbidities and differential diagnoses.The authors state that diagnosis of autism requires carefulhistory taking, focusing on the developmental story, presence of core behaviours, and observation of the child in several settings.