Citing 12 years of research and clinical study, the American Academy of Pediatrics as issued a new clinical report on autism that urges early identification and referral for treatment, even if a formal diagnosis has not been confirmed. Although the average age of diagnosis is age four, the new goal is to obtain a diagnosis by age two. In addition, diagnostic categories such as Asperger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder are now longer used and are now all considered autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Read more about this new clinical report on autism in a recent article published by the New York Times.