Methods of Early Diagnosis and Tracking for Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDDNOS)

The tremendous increase in interest and focus on early intensive interventions for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has resulted in additional emphasis on related topics. Perhaps one of the most important of these is the development of methods of early assessment. Due to the nature of the disorders in the autistic spectrum, two disorders can be assessed early on, autism and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS). Rett syndrome has a genetic marker, while Asperger syndrome and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder do not become evident until later in childhood. A number of scales (we have identified 22) designed to diagnose autism have been adopted for early identification and other scales have been designed specifically to diagnose children at 18-36 months of age and all are briefly discussed in our review. A more detailed review of the ADI-R, ADOS, CHAT and its variants, and the BISCUIT are provided since these have been the most heavily researched measures at this time.