New Guidelines Urge Pediatricians to Screen All Children for Autism

November 5, 2007

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends that all children be screened for autism spectrum disorder twice before age two, as part of well-baby checkups. Further, it recommends that treatment for autism be started when autism spectrum disorder is suspected, rather than when a formal diagnosis is made. The release of these new guidelines has prompted national media coverage of the importance of early diagnosis and of the recently launched ASD video glossary. Read a press release from Autism Speaks, see highlights from the AAP's annual conference, and watch media coverage.